Yours To Hold
by DenyingTheTruth
Summary: When things come to a screeching halt in her personal life, AJ Lee has nowhere to turn to. The only thing she has left is to swallow her pride and return to the only other home she had, much to the dismay of the other divas. While she tries to rebuild her life without Punk, she begins to realize that life might be a whole lot happier without him in it.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hey everyone! I know I've got too many projects going at once, but alas...this idea popped into my head because the more I think about it, the more I realize it could realistically happen, if not for the Twitter cuteness of said couple. Therefore, I am writing because...well why not?  
**

* * *

He's home.

And he's angry.

But he's always angry, always in a bad mood. Always annoyed or frustrated.

And even though usually Phil isn't angry at her, per se, his constant wallowing of self-pity is beginning to completely drown her. The once fun, spontaneous, driven woman who was one hundred and some pounds of constant bubbling energy was now being dragged down into this horrible grave.

He was always known to be an unhappy guy, but he always pointed the finger back at the WWE for his main source of being so miserable. But now that he'd stepped away, it was clear that it wasn't the company AJ had called home for so long; it was his own brain. His pattern of thinking was destroying his entire outlook on life, and now it was destroying hers, too.

She often tried to find herself other things to keep herself busy, like writing a book or appearing on a television series. Phil would grumble about that, too, reminding her that if they were to ever live normal lives, she couldn't keep doing things that put a spotlight on her. But she couldn't just sit in their Chicago home like he'd hinted he'd like her to do. What she really, really wanted to do was to get back into the ring, but that simply wasn't an option. Without a doubt, her peers hated her for leaving when she did, and management really made their opinion known when they'd allowed for Nikki Bella to break her championship record.

That, and because she was hopelessly married to the man that left the company without real explanation until many months later; then proceeded to call out the WWE on every bit of bullshit he'd ever seen or heard of quite publicly. Knowing that in order to not suffer the same lawsuits, AJ chose to step away when she had the chance.

And to say she regretted it now? That was an understatement. She yearned to be wrestling again, but it just wasn't in the cards for her anymore. Punk had dug his grave, and she'd chosen to lie in it with him.

Phil was in the den, pacing. He'd been gone for a few days, training for his UFC career up in Milwaukee. She'd talked to him on the phone yesterday, where he told her the news that unfortunately, he'd suffered a significant injury that would delay his debut for six months.

Since they'd saved so much money between the two of them, earning money through UFC wasn't a huge setback. More or less, Phil really needed an outlet. Sure, he'd been seen at the Chicago Cubs games; he was spotted with AJ getting coffee. He kept up on his social media accounts. But AJ realized once they began to spend too much time together, it was almost...volatile for the both of them. His cranky mood would get her going, putting her in a bad mood, too. They'd start fighting, making the short time they actually spent together an uncomfortable, jumbled mess.

"What did the doctor say?" she nervously asked him. He shot her a frustrated look, and she bit her lip, her eyes looking away from the fire that was burning in his.

"He didn't. I didn't go."

She shrugged, picking up her tablet and opening up the Angry Birds application. She needed to look busy, or he'd start a fight.

"I am just so fucking depressed," he fell into the couch cushion beside her, burying his head in his hands. "One minute, I'm CM Punk, the Best in the World...and a couple years later, I could be in contention for the Biggest Loser."

Letting a giggle escape, she bit her lip harder and cleared her throat to pretend that she hadn't actually laughed at her husband.

"Something you find funny?" he asked, an edge in his voice that was only there when he got like this.

"The Biggest Loser is a weight loss show," AJ said quietly. "You and I both know you're in immaculate physical shape."

"Really? I always thought it was people who needed their lives turned around," he said back, and though his tone was flat, he was being serious.

"No, you goofball," she draped her arms around him, trying to get him to respond to affection. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes he shut her out completely.

As of late, he was building his brick walls higher and higher. AJ couldn't figure out why. They'd been together for so long now, been through so much already, that the fact that he was trying to keep himself protected from his own wife was slightly unnerving. For what reason? She couldn't even remember the last time they'd been intimate, nor the time they'd last talked about where the next step was for them.

As expected, he shook her arm from his shoulders, standing up. "I'm going to take a nap," he said with a sigh.

"I'll join you?" AJ wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Ape, I'm not in the mood. I just don't know what I want anymore."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said. Do you need me to write it down for you?"

"You aren't happy with me anymore?"

"I didn't say that. I'm just not happy at all anymore."

Well, that was clear. But rather than dig deeper, she put her feet up where he'd just risen from, getting comfortable enough to play numerous hours of Angry Birds. Or, maybe if she got bored, she could play some more of her new Witcher game.

Anything to keep her mind off from the hours spent wishing her husband even acknowledged their time together.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay, so I wrote the prologue and I couldn't stop. So many ideas, and I'm so excited. You are welcome.  
**

* * *

Her flight was leaving Chicago in an hour.

She pulled her hood up on her black sweatshirt, trying to make herself look as inconspicuous as possible. If she was going to pull this off, she couldn't let anyone see her. Sure, Punk would figure out where she'd gone shortly...if everything went the way she'd hoped it would. But Lord knew that he wouldn't bother to show up at the one place he hated more than anywhere in the world.

And it wasn't like they'd welcome him into any WWE events, anyways.

She had called Stephanie McMahon in tears just a few days ago, and although Stephanie had sternly reminded that this was the choice that AJ made, she did offer her to come to the WWE headquarters.

"I just...don't have anywhere to go now. You know, with my parent's situations...and now..." AJ knew she wasn't making any sense anymore, but she was so very numb from all the pain right now.

"Well, come to Connecticut. Hunter and I will be there, and we'll talk over the possibility of a return for you," Stephanie had really stressed the word _possibility_ , but AJ didn't care. It bought her time, and even if the WWE didn't want to take her back right now, it would at least give her a few more days to plan her next step. But, one thing was for sure: she saw what she saw, she knew what she knew, and now going home to Phil was not an option.

AJ never expected this for herself, and certainly not for her marriage. Blinking back tears, she logged on to Twitter, reading through some of the ridiculous posts her former colleagues busied themselves with. She paused as she read something that Paige had written; and suddenly, she really missed the newest anti-diva. Paige had extra rooms in the home she'd lived in with her fiance, so maybe that was an option...

Moving on, she saw Phil's post from a few days ago.

 **They say, third time's a charm.**

At the time, AJ just looked past it. It didn't mean anything to her. But now she knew what, and whom, her husband was referring to. Her eyes were wide open now.

* * *

Seth Rollins was pissed.

As if things weren't hard enough for him lately, the stupid ass WWE creative team would make him job to Cena, yet again. Why? Because he was still being punished.

WWE was notorious for punishing talent when they messed up. One of the NXT divas, Paige was a prime example: she drops an f-bomb on television, she's taken out of the diva's title picture. She takes loss after loss for weeks on end to teach her a lesson: that your career will be buried unless you abide by our rules.

Even though when the initial news of his southern parts being strewn all over the internet broke, he was certain he'd be forced to drop the WWE championship immediately after winning it, but he got lucky. At least, at first. The booking for him was absolute shit; and the creative team knew it, too. They did everything they could to make Rollins look like a fluke. A fraud. A weak championship run.

Right when finally, things look to be at a turning point for him and he's booked to win the US title from Cena, his bedtime buddy gets her ass fired for posting neo-nazi bullshit all over her Instagram account.

So, now, because of his affiliation with Zahra, he would be booked to lose the title to John Cena after only holding on to it for a few measly weeks.

Seth tried to explain that his thing with Zahra was nothing more but a wham-bam-thank you ma'am ordeal, but Hunter wasn't buying it.

"You're lucky you even got to stay with the company, Seth. Consider this strike two," Hunter was beet red, his anger at a boiling point. "You need to remember, the company you keep has a direct impact on your character, and how people see you. And this...this is not good. Now, I suggest you leave my office. I have about a hundred phone calls to make, and one of them is to Vince reminding him of the potential you have. Hopefully, he agrees."

Seth apologized again, but Hunter feigned ignorance and opened the door of the makeshift office for that evening's Monday Night Raw, making it clear he wanted Seth out immediately.

Once he'd gotten to the hallway, Seth made a beeline for the weight room he'd seen when he entered the arena. If nothing else, at least he could sweat out some of his problems.

A few guys were already in there, none of which he particularly cared to speak to. Ever since he made a significant heel turn, his buddies from the Shield held a very real grudge against him. Even they were completely unaware of the turn of events at the time, and both still were pretty angry that Seth had neglected to mention he would be breaking away from their stable in order to gain popularity.

Now, he spent a good chunk of his time with Antonio Cesaro on the road, and often would travel alongside him and Kevin Owens. Even though they weren't necessarily a talkative bunch, he trusted them. They didn't judge him for the choices he made, and his ex, Leighla, was never mentioned due to an unspoken code of honor.

"I just like, am so annoyed that chicks like Eva can waltz on in here and be given opportunities. Don't you think it's time to put women over who actually paid their dues?" Seth couldn't help but roll his eyes as the cameras were on Nikki, Brie, and Paige. He was all for the reality era for the fans, but he couldn't stand most of the Total Divas cast. The few times he did watch it, it seemed to be drama, gossip, and whining.

 _What a great influence that had on the young fans that idolize them,_ he thought. _And women like Nikki and Nattie should know better than to run their mouths about co-workers._

Choosing to ignore the women and the cameras, he put his headphones in...and began a nice, inclined run on a treadmill.

* * *

"Thank you for meeting me, Stephanie. I really appreciate it," AJ had changed back at the hotel room, now sporting black skinny jeans, crisp white Chuck Taylors, and a white suit jacket over a bright red t-shirt. For her, this was pretty dressed up. She wore no makeup, knowing fully well the bags under her eyes were very obvious. AJ didn't care.

"Yes, of course. You look...tired," Stephanie seemed to be inspecting her, and AJ knew she was seeing if she was still in shape to be back in the ring at all. "Come in, and sit down."

"I am tired. But not in the sense that I should take a nap," AJ stated quietly, feeling slightly intimidated by Stephanie as she followed her into her ridiculously large office. But, why? She'd stood up to the woman so many times before, knocking her down a few notches.

Phil, she supposed, had taken away the fire she once let burn. She felt weak, helpless and empty all at once.

"I see. Unfortunately, Hunter had a few problems to take care of at the arena tonight and wasn't able to fly out to make it. You know, your husband isn't the only superstar to act like a childish twit," she winked at AJ, knowing fully well that not only was she taking a jab at their marriage, but a jab at her as a person.

How professional, princess.

AJ bit her lip as she shrugged, taking the abuse. She folded her hands in front of her, waiting for the boss to continue.

Stephanie raised an eyebrow as she noticed a certain ring on a certain finger of AJ's was missing.

"That bad, huh?" her bitchface seemed to relax, and an honest look of sorrow crossed her normally stern features.

"It's...it's bad. He doesn't know I'm here, but he'll find out soon enough. I sent all the papers this morning..." AJ began to talk slowly as she could feel herself begin to get choked up. "I just don't have anywhere to go. And I want to come home," she reiterated her feelings from the prior conversation she'd had with the older woman, blinking back the tears that she still couldn't seem to contain.

"Oh, dear. Dear, oh dear. Well, as you know, we have quite a stuffed divas roster right now, what with the divas revolution. Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch have all made their way up from NXT. Paige still has quite a following, but we'd like to make her a heel in the near future...perhaps you could work with her after she establishes herself as a bad friend? Nothing better than two nutcases..." Stephanie took out a pen and paper, jotting her ideas on paper. "It's going to be tough to write you in during this epic time for women's wrestling, but I can see what we can do."

"Thank you," AJ nearly whispered, her voice hoarse and sticking to her throat.

"Now, I would like you to report to Sara. As much as I trust your wrestling skills, you've been out of action for awhile, so rather than throw you on Raw to show them you still have it, I just want you to brush up. I'd rather be safe than to risk an injury."

AJ nodded, happy that at the very least, she had a chance to prove herself worthy of being here again.

"And AJ? Please, don't make any more foolish decisions with your heart. Your brain knows better than you think." Stephanie stood up, brushing invisible specks of dirt off from her black trouser slacks.

"Thank you, again," AJ said meekly, and Stephanie handed her an itinerary for her training. AJ glanced at it, and a tiny flower of happiness blossomed in her stomach. If all went well, she would be back on televised events in just one month.

Now, all she had to do was keep her head on straight.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay, so I wrote the prologue and I couldn't stop. So many ideas, and I'm so excited. You are welcome.  
**

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me," AJ heard the whispers, but she pretended not to hear them.

"After what she did, why would she bother to show her face here again?"

"Just wait until Nikki gets wind of this."

AJ couldn't wait to take the ring. All of the aggression built up, all of the anger she was harboring for her soon-to-be ex husband...she couldn't wait to find the release she desperately needed.

"Ladies! Please, conduct yourselves as such," Sara Del Ray acknowledged the whispers, commanding charge almost instantly. "You all should be happy to work with a future hall of fame diva. Now, give AJ a warm welcome. Cameron, you and AJ, take the ring. Remind us why you want to be here," she told the mocha-skinned woman, who rolled her eyes as soon as Sara's back was turned.

AJ and Cameron tied up, and AJ gave a mighty push, landing the other woman smack on her ass. AJ delivered a nasty elbow drop, then ran to the ropes to deliver a dropkick.

She was literally making Cameron look like she had just started wrestling last week, and it felt good.

Cameron, of course, didn't take too kindly to AJ's punishing move set.

The women tied up again, and Sara watched the pair from ringside, smirking as AJ weaseled her way out of the other woman's arms, sweeping her off her feet again with an armbar.

"Alright, ladies. AJ, you look like you never even left. And Cam, did you show up today, or leave your passion at home? I couldn't really tell." Sara stepped in the ring, clapping the former divas champion on the back as she backflipped out of the ring. A disgusted sound came from Cameron, and Sara whipped around to face her.

"Whatever. This bitch still ain't no Nikki Bella," Cameron stated.

AJ's ears perked up. "'Scuse me?" she shouted from outside the ring.

"I know you heard me," Cameron snipped back, stepping towards the rope.

"Cameron, knock it off," Sara stepped in the ring, ready to break up a brewing real-life girl fight.

"Hell, no, I ain't gonna knock it off. This bitch leaves so she can fuck her husband every night, and the rest of us are forced to struggle? My girls on the mains have seen nothing but three-minute matches and roll-up pins, all because the so-called top diva follows her hub like a puppy dog. She comes storming back, and she just gets presented yet another golden opportunity! Don't you think your ship's sailed?" Cameron wouldn't stop, and AJ's fists clenched at her sides. She had half the mind to reach up and snag a piece of Cameron's ratchet looking hair. Deep down, she kind of wanted to. The fact that this woman had the audacity to judge her choices based off from nothing made her super angry. What the hell was her problem?

"She was sent here first," Sara pointed out. "If she were given star treatment, she wouldn't be here, she'd be on Smackdown tonight. Now, shut your mouth before I allow AJ to shut it for you."

"Yeah, whatever." Cameron waved Sara off, letting her steam evaporate.

"Finally," Sara gave a exasperated sigh. "Was it that hard to shut your face? Cameron, you and Alexa. Outside, take a lap. I don't want to look at you."

"Why me?" the NXT manager, Alexa Bliss, pointed to herself, not bothering to hide her annoyance with the WWE trainer. AJ wondered if she'd said something about her as well, but it appeared the pretty blonde was nothing but an innocent bystander.

"Because you are wearing glitter to practice," Sara shrugged. "And I'm not in a shining, sparkly mood anymore."

* * *

"Sethie, I'm really sorry. I didn't want to make you look bad, too. I never intended for this too happen..."

Seth was tuning out the black-haired, tattooed, former NXT talent. She had called him as soon as the WWE shitcanned her, but he didn't have the patience to deal with it the other day. Finally, after handfuls of missed calls and ignored text messages, Seth supposed he should speak to his pseudo-girlfriend.

But the more she talked, the more he realized that she was a cancer to his own career. And like hell if she would let this psycho bitch ruin that, too.

"Z, listen. I like you a lot but you need to understand how badly this whole situation reflects on me. You have a lot to fall back on; you still have opportunity. But me? This is all I've got. I can't keep doing this," he heard himself say, and his heart was pounding. His stomach was almost as sick as when he'd broken things off with Leighla for jeopardizing his career last time.

Maybe he just needed to escape crazy chicks altogether.

"Are you fucking serious?" he could hear her begin shouting through the phone, cursing him out like a bad-mouthed sailor.

He held down the end button, throwing his phone in the depths of his duffel bag. For now, at least, he would have to ignore her. Until things started to simmer down a little bit. Or, at least, until she found a new man to sleep with.

Burying his face in his hands, his phone began to blow up with texts, probably from Zahra. He'd forgotten to turn it off or silence it, and he couldn't handle the unnecessary beeping. He was already irritated, and that was going to make it worse.

As predicted, twelve texts were from Zahra. He hadn't fully read any of them. They ranged from, "we can still make this work" to "I want to have a family with you" to "fine, go fuck yourself." Deleting each of them, he just couldn't deal with this anymore. Couldn't deal with her, couldn't deal with the spotlight, and couldn't deal with the company. Maybe he'd make like CM Punk did and just...stop showing up.

 _If only it were that simple,_ he thought to himself as his eyes landed on the championship belts tucked in their own separate carrying case.

That gold, and a few good friends...that's all he had. And even though he felt empty sometimes, he could live with it.

* * *

"I heard you were in town again, lovely," the clear British accent came through AJ's phone, and she began to smile immediately. If anyone ought to lead the divas while AJ was away, it was the fair-skinned, English bad-ass. She couldn't be more proud of her friend, helping to get over extremely talented women.

"That I am, my ever-adorable crumpet," AJ teased her friend, feeling at ease for the first time since returning to the NXT ring.

"But for how long? A week? A month? Forever?"

AJ laughed. "For as long as I can handle it. I needed to do...something. As much fun as I've had running the streets of Chicago with Scruff McGruff, I realized that I'm not ready to leave this all behind yet. I don't handle 'normal' very well."

Paige laughed. "Oh, AJ. How does Philly feel about all of this?"

AJ froze at the mention of her husband. He still hadn't called her, and her divorce attorney had not contacted her, either, which meant he hadn't signed the papers yet.

"He, um. He doesn't exactly... _know_."

"Oh, shit. Don't tell me you guys...you know what? I'm only about twenty minutes or so away. Text me the room and hotel you're in and I'll have Foxy drop me off."

"It's really okay, I don't really want to-" but Paige had already hung up the phone.

"Talk about it," AJ said to the sound of a dial tone.

In about a half an hour after texting where she was staying, Paige showed up outside AJ's room. Shrieking like little girls as they saw each other for the first time in maybe three months, they hugged; AJ commented on the blue extensions that Paige had added to her raven locks, and Paige idolized the rock-hard abs that AJ still kept fully intact.

"I'm so glad you're here," Paige said, flopping on to the king-sized bed. AJ's clothes and shoes were all over the room, as she didn't have enough time to shove it all back in their homes _and_ shower and get presentable.

"I'm glad I finally have a friendly face to look at," AJ said back, flopping next to the other woman. She felt like a teenager with Paige, and it was so good to feel young and free.

"Yeah, Sara mentioned you had it out with Cameron on her watch. You know what though? Fuck Cameron, she's just sour because she's been here forever and she is atrocious."

AJ laughed. "It felt good to destroy her at my old stomping grounds," she smiled at the memory, remembering the look on Cam's face as she landed on her ass.

"Small, yet mighty," Paige smiled. "I can't wait for you to get back on the road. It's been great. You'll love the direction they're heading with this whole thing. And Bex, she's truly great. Charlotte, great but full of herself. But being the spawn of Ric Flair, I guess that's notable enough."

"Steph said the roster was pretty crowded," AJ recalled. "I wouldn't be surprised if they kept me at NXT for awhile."

Paige laughed. "Steph is using scare tactics. Like hell if you'll be stuck there forever. You're AJ Lee, for Christ's sake! You've already proven yourself. She just doesn't know where to use you without pissing off everyone else."

"Speaking of pissing people off..." AJ trailed.

"No, I don't think the Bellas know of your decision to return to action," Paige accurately read her mind, and a sigh escaped from AJ's lips.

"Brie, she and I were pretty okay. But Nikki...well, I know she beat my record. And I know we didn't exactly see eye to eye."

"That's hogwash. Okay, no it's not. She was thrilled to be the new top diva when you bowed out."

"Gee, Paige. I appreciate your honesty," AJ playfully punched her friend's arm.

"I know, I know. And now I need some of yours."

Dread bubbled up form the pit of her tummy.

"You, sweetheart, need to explain why you're kooked up in a hotel room without your husband."

AJ sat up from the bed, drawing her knees close to her body.

"I don't want to talk about it," she squeezed her eyes shut, willing the dulling ache in her heart to disappear.

"I know you don't. But you can't keep it inside."

"I want to."

"I know that you don't. What happened? Did he hurt you? So help me God, if he laid a finger on you, I'll give a call to-"

"No, no. Not like that. He destroyed me, though. Destroyed everything we've built. Torched it to the ground."

Paige hugged her friend as a sob escaped from her, and she began letting the tears that had been building for the past few days fall, leaving watermarks on the starchy hotel quilt.

"It started, I guess, with a tweet..." she began.

* * *

 **Hooray, chapter two! So, how will the other divas react to the change of heart? What exactly ended the marriage? So many questions!**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wow! What an explosive response to the last chapter. I thank everyone who took the time to read, review, favorite, and follow. All of those things solidify the fact that this is actually halfway decent. That being said, I know it's hard to open up to the idea of Punklee divorcing, and I absolutely adore both of them so it's tough to write. But, I guess, in a weird and twisted way this shipping isn't so nuts after all. Anywho, thanks again for checking this story out. There's plenty of fun to come.  
**

* * *

Seth strolled alongside Kevin Owens, pretending to listen as he talked about the plans for his son's upcoming birthday.

It's not that he didn't care, because he did. Kevin was a great family man, a great entertainer, and shit, a great person in general. Seth, on the other hand, was so busy in his own mind lately that he found himself exploring his thoughts more than what was going on in real life.

It had been three weeks since he'd opted out of a relationship or anything else as far as Zahra was concerned. It just sucked. He constantly defended her to anyone and everyone, even his own family. But yet again, he was wrong about her pretty face and even prettier body. She turned out to be exactly the kind of person that everyone said she was.

Her text messages were now scarce, and he reckoned she'd been either slutting around like she had been doing prior to getting involved with him or fled back to the douchey ex-boyfriend back in her hometown. He had yet to text her, even though nights like tonight, he just really wanted to crawl into bed with the likes of another warm body, breathe the scent of lavender, and fall asleep with his arms around someone who actually gave a shit about him.

Seth just needed to continually remind himself that Zahra was going to ruin him, and that just couldn't happen. He couldn't be the guy that falls to the wayside, another champion that simply didn't pan out.

"Hell-o? Earth to Seth?" Kevin was calling for his attention again, a knowing glare on his face. "Did you just tune me out, bro?"

Seth shook his head, as if he'd forgotten where he was and what he was doing.

"You know, I did. I just envy that you've got the family thing figured out, being as young as you are."

Kevin guffawed, clicking his tongue. "Rollins, you've got no worries. I suggest you quit dating skanks, for one. Shit takes time, dude. You've got to fall in love with the right person."

Seth shrugged his friend off, not wanting to listen to his Dr. Phil expert analysis.

"You're not thinking about picking up your phone and calling the trashbag that almost ruined your career, are you?" Kevin pawed at the phone Seth had just drawn from his pocket, as if preparing to snatch it away.

"Which one?" Seth snorted. "I'm the most unlucky son of a bitch I know in that department."

"Take the pity party somewhere else, Rollins," Kevin shoved his friend. John Cena passed by the two men, and waved at them. Kevin, being a decent guy, waved him back. Seth let his stone expression do the talking for him. Even though he knew Cena wasn't to blame for the US championship loss, how could he not be pissed off? Someone like Cena didn't need a title. Seth needed that win more; he needed to prove himself and defeat both Sting and John in the same night.

 _Thanks again, Z,_ he cursed the woman who was a million miles away.

Finally finding the room set aside for catering, the men sat down next to Dolph Ziggler and current fling, Summer Rae. _And if he wasn't actually dating Summer,_ Seth thought, _he sure made it look like he was._

"I'm gonna grab some veggies. Do you want anything, man?" Kevin asked and Seth shook his head.

"Oh, hey, Owens, do you mind grabbing me a spoon?" Dolph called after the bigger man, holding a yogurt container in the air. Kevin, being way too nice, gave him the thumbs up. If it were Seth, he'd give him a double middle-finger just because Dolph was annoying.

"I am so excited to see some of he ladies I worked with in NXT achieve great things," Summer commented in her nasally voice. She was watching as Sasha Banks gave a promo, her eyes glued to the tiny flat screen television held to the wall. Sasha spoke about how even though she wasn't the number one contender right now for the diva's belt, that she was still very much here and in the picture. It was just a matter of time.

Seth had to admit, she was fierce. He adored her gimmick, her "I don't give a shit" attitude, and the style she used against her opponents. It was kind of nice to see talent in that division again. Of course, he'd never say any of that out loud.

 _Yeah, they're proud of you, too, sweetcheeks,_ Seth thought bitterly. He thought about saying it out loud, then thought better of it. He was already a pariah in the locker room, so maybe picking fights with Ziggler's woman wasn't the route he should choose.

He watched as Brie, Nikki, and Alicia Fox pranced down to the ring, all sporting similar red gear. The pop they got from the crowd was quite notable, but not as notable as Paige's when she screamed her banshee scream on the ring apron before hopping in.

Seth fiddled with his phone, paying absolutely no attention anymore. He had seen this match a hundred times over; it was safe to say that Paige would win by disqualification after Team Bella started beating the shit out of her. It was a tired, dried-up storyline that for whatever reason, the creative team kept going back to. The most interesting shake-up they'd added in was the very quick disband of Team PCB, proving once again that Paige was a lone wolf and needed no friends.

Seth logged on to his Twitter account, not really bothering to read anything. He followed a lot of bands, and he wondered if any of them were in the area. Even though Kevin wasn't a beer fan, at least he'd probably come along for cheap entertainment.

"See, now that's a good way to keep Paige hated," Summer piped up again, and Seth looked up at the screen as Becky Lynch and Charlotte stood outside, watching on as Brie held Paige's wrists in the ring corner while Fox directed the official's attention her way. Paige's fellow "teammates" watched on and shook their heads, watching Paige get annihilated and eventually, turning on their heels to walk back up the ramp.

"Dude," Kevin sat back down, a plastic spoon in one hand and an assortment of broccoli and carrots in the other. He tossed the spoon across the table to Dolph, who thanked him, then turned his attention back to his food.

"Dude?" Seth said back, poking fun at his buddy. He looked up to see his face pale as Sheamus'.

"Dude, you look like you just saw a ghost," Seth's eyebrows furrowed.

"I think I did," Kevin admitted. "Over by the curtain-"

"Oh my God! Someone needs to help her!" Kevin was interrupted by the announce team, and everyone's heads snapped up as Brie and Nikki set Paige up for a Rack-Attack on to a steel chair, something that generally, women didn't get to do.

The camera closed up on Paige, who was yelling for her friends' help, waiting for Charlotte or Becky to help her out. Foxy watched on, blowing kisses and waving as Nikki hoisted Paige up with a little help from her twin, ignoring the ref's pleas...

 _"Let's light it up, light it up light it up light it tonight..."_

The familiar tune played, and the entire roster stood up from where they were sitting. The arena went wild as the dark-haired, petite little diva skipped down the ramp, wearing her jean shorts and a long-sleeved cropped t-shirt. She smiled as she skipped around the ring. Smiled as Brie covered her mouth in pure shock. Smiled even wider as Paige managed to wiggle free of Nikki's finishing move, taking a fistful of hair and tossing her backwards on to the chairthe twins had set up just moments before.

"I did see a ghost," Kevin murmured, the first person to talk as Paige began to beat the snot out of both Brie and Alicia Fox. AJ didn't even get into the ring yet, and the crowd reaction was unbelievable.

Seth couldn't help but wonder how Punk felt about his wife's return. After all, she had made it clear that she would respect his wishes and retire on top. Maybe she realized she hadn't actually retired on top like she deserved to do? Seth tuned out everyone's chatter, stalking Leighla on Instagram like he sometimes did when he got bored.

He was happy for AJ, and for her return, but he had more important things to concern himself with.

* * *

AJ and Paige giggled as they hugged after their epic destruction of Team Bella. Paige raised AJ's hand in the air, and the roars just didn't silence.

Team Bella backed up the ramp, all three of them with shocked, bitchy stares. Nobody saw this coming. And even though surely there was a rumor of AJ back in the NXT territory, perhaps many either brushed it off as such or just believed that the original anti-diva was simply only there to help train the upcoming talents.

When Paige and AJ finally found their way backstage, there was complete silence, but a lot of wanderers. Everyone was interested, but nobody wanted to congratulate...it was too dangerous. And, for a moment, AJ couldn't help but be annoyed. The divas revolution? Technically, she was the pilgrim in that voyage, handing off the torch to Paige. Yet, so many people still had a grudge, and looking at the backstage area, it was quite clear.

Finally, Brie Bella stepped up to the plate. AJ knew she'd grown a hefty pair since she'd left, quite often publicly displaying her dislike for Eva Marie. Clearing her throat loudly, a few people turned to see what drama might ensue.

"Yes, darling?" AJ taunted, finally feeling alive, brave, and truth be told...fearless.

"Just making sure it truly was the ghost of bitchness past," Nikki came to the aid of her sister, and AJ rolled her eyes.

"Are we really going to do this now?" Paige wondered out loud, but nobody acknowledged her.

"Exactly what in the hell do you think you're doing here? Because really, I think it's pretty clear. This division has survived, and flourished, without you in it," Brie kept up, not missing a beat. The crowd of onlookers doubled in size in a mere twenty seconds.

"There wouldn't be a division if it wasn't for me. It would be the Bella Show, with a few fellow castmates from a reality show," AJ pointed out, beginning to push her way through some people to get out of there.

Nikki, of course, took note of that action.

"Aw, what's the matter, champ? Can't stand having a crowd in your face?"

"She must not have realized that that's what this business is all about," Brie murmured.

"Following in the footsteps of her lovely, delightful husband, yet again. The going gets tough, there's new talent, and I'm being overshadowed. So let's run away," Nikki continued, and AJ turned to face her, now very annoyed that these two wenches would even mention her relationship. Wasn't it obvious that she didn't _have_ a relationship?

"Look, I don't mean any trouble. I want what's best for business, just like everyone here. And I want what's best for our fans, because without them, we'd all still be wrestling in OVW and FCW. I don't care that you don't like me. I don't care that you have a big, special television show. Let me do what I love in peace, and please, don't pretend you know a damn thing about what I think or feel," AJ remained calm through her speech, and a lot of the male roster members who were in the general area nodded with approval.

Nikki made a disgusted sound, flipping her flouncy hair. "I just want you to know, this little transition back isn't going to be easy for you. Because there's so many of us who are clawing to get to the top, and I'll be damned, as the top diva, to just allow you to step over all of the women who have given all they've got to get here."

"How noble of you. I wonder if Eva Marie would vouch for that?" AJ wondered, finally leaving the scene.

Nikki and Brie stood there, fuming. Paige followed her friend, opting not to get involved. Everyone else began buzzing, tweeting, and even a few people legitimately clapped for AJ's verbal ass-whooping.

Punk aside, AJ took comfort in knowing that she was still able to deliver truthful, effective pipe bombs.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey all! Thanks again for responding to this story. Your reviews make my life better. That being said, I had a few people with the concern that Seth's character is too nice. I understand where that's coming from, but on another note, our main characters haven't actually interacted yet. :)  
**

* * *

"Come on, AJ. We need to celebrate!" Paige whined, clipping the blue extensions out of her hair.

"Celebrate what, exactly?"

"Um, that the weird ones are back in action, together? That one of the most brilliant divas ever made a splash on her debut back on Raw? Or how about just to have fun for one?"

AJ rolled her eyes at her friend, kicking off her shoes and absently wondered where she'd put her favorite hoodie. Paige wanted to take her to a pub down the block. That was something that, in the past, was a huge no-no for the petite diva. It would be kind of nice to step foot in the place, kind of like a giant middle finger to Punk. But she also really wanted to find old InuYasha episodes and cuddle up in her sweats. Falling backwards on to the bed, she instantly decided that the latter would be a better option.

Choices, choices.

"AJ, I love you dearly, and that's why I'm telling you this. You've got to pull yourself out of this funky mood. I get it. And after you told me how things went down, I really do understand. If I was in that situation, I would've lost my damn mind. But you know, you're getting close to losing yours. Every single night is the same since you've returned: you go to shows, you work out, and retreat to your room. Nobody sees you until it's absolutely mandatory that you come out again. I'm really, truly worried about you, AJ."

"You don't need to worry. I'm a big girl," AJ grumbled, pulling the covers over her head.

"Clearly. You're acting like a child," Paige retorted, pulling the covers off from her friend. AJ's hair stuck straight up in the air from the static, causing both women to giggle.

"You're an ass," AJ smiled. Paige really knew how to make her feel like everything was going to be okay again. Would one drink really kill her? She'd been forcing herself to withdraw and be miserable for far too long. Sure, she had every right and reason to be a hermit. After all, nobody really welcomed her with open arms upon her return, aside from the youngest WWE diva.

When she had retired, she knew that it was quite possible nobody would ever respect her again. But, then again, she planned on leaving her Chuck-clad footprints behind for good, never to return to the company that she so loved.

But, things don't work out as planned. Ever.

"Catch," Paige threw a pair of skinny jeans at her friend, making it known that she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"I don't know..." AJ started, her overly active mind thinking of any and all scenarios. What if someone put on Twitter that she was misbehaving? What if Nikki and Brie were there, ready to stir up trouble? What if the newcomers from NXT were there, turning their noses in the air at the veteran diva?

"AJ, knock it off. I don't care if you dress like you're ready for bed, but you're coming down with me. Just one drink is all I ask," Paige's dark-rimmed eyes were even pleading at this point, and AJ could feel herself breaking down.

"Fine," she sighed, tossing her long hair over a shoulder. "One drink. And I'm not going to get all cutesy," she wagged her finger towards the other woman, who already was holding a black crop top and dark gray jeggings of her own. She did pull on the jeans Paige threw at her, but opted to wear an oversized white t-shirt.

"How is it you look cute in everything?" Paige wondered aloud, fluffing her hair in the bathroom mirror, getting ready to reapply her mascara.

"A load of effort," AJ responded, her tone flat.

Once Paige was finished coating her already dark eyes once again, she gave herself a once over, offering a bowed arm to AJ.

"Shall we?"

Accepting her arm, the pair walked out the door and down the hall. The whole way down to the ground level, Paige was giving her friend and mentor a pep talk of sorts, reminding her that she had no reason to be afraid, and that she had her back.

It was just nice to know that someone did.

* * *

Phil Brooks looked over the paperwork once again.

He was saddened to see that, once again, something that he loved blew up in his face. His marriage was perfect just a year ago. From the honeymoon to their many outings together afterwards, he would cherish every memory. Unfortunately, things didn't always work out as planned; and even though a part of him would always love and care for AJ, he couldn't help but be relieved that she'd finally cut things off with him.

He could see how much he'd been dragging her once lively personality down. Wherever he went, she followed. She was quite loyal; but that was a given. She had lost her spark, afraid to fight back anymore. Afraid to have a different opinion for fear of fighting.

Not to mention, she quit her job to be with him. To avoid problems. And he couldn't forgive himself for taking away something she loved.

"It's not a big deal. I'd rather be with you every single day," she'd told him, and was quite adamant about taking time to be with her husband. But, the more time they'd spent together, the more they began to argue. Punk realized that they quite similar; very standoffish and both preferred to be left alone. That made it hard to talk to each other, both avoiding any confrontation. The person she'd brought out in him at first was happier, more outgoing...carefree, even. But the onslaught of all the lawsuits came, taking more and more out of him. The injury, the traveling back and forth to Wisconsin, and settling for a relationship based off from texting drove them further and further apart.

Unhappiness consumed them both, and it appeared that she had finally had enough.

Good, he thought. I really didn't want to break her little heart.

Thoughts of her crying ripped through his mind, but he forced them out. She was back at that shit show, doing something that was either intended to piss him off or keep her mind off from their problems. Or both.

But, then again, she'd burned dozens of bridges just to be with him. She'd cut a lot off ties, lost a lot of friends. At the time, she probably didn't think twice.

Punk sighed, looking once more through the papers. Once he sent those back to this Matthew Doherty, attorney at law, he'd finally be able to give AJ her wings back.

She'd finally be free.

Finding himself a black ballpoint pen, he chicken-scratched his name under where AJ had already put a signature of her own. It felt so final...and for a moment, he thought about trashing the papers, calling her cellphone for the first time in weeks, and do whatever it took to get her back.

His mind and pulse racing simultaneously, his own cell began to buzz. The name put his mind at ease, reminding him that this was the right track to be on.

"Hey, you," the familiar voice on the other end purred. "Guess where I am?"

For the first time in a long time, Punk felt alive again.

* * *

"Nah, really. I'm good. You guys can go ahead without me...I just really want to focus on a conditioning workout tonight. I don't want to look as shitty in the ring as I did tonight," Seth waved his colleagues ahead, towards the back door of the arena.

Cesaro shook his head, annoyed with his friend. Dolph nodded, pretending to be understanding.

But Seth knew that look. He wasn't understanding at all. In fact, nobody could understand the things that were going on in the champ's mind.

Part of it was that he just had no interest in going to that stupid pub everyone was talking about. He could live without seeing another Nikki Bella tear-fest over Cena once the alcohol began to hit her. He would be fine if he didn't have to see Ambrose texting his girlfriend in the corner, too awkward to join in on the fun. Or, for that matter, admit he even _had_ a girlfriend. He'd be more than happy to skip another TJ and Natalya argument. Life would just be so much happier for him if he didn't go. He'd rather just focus on the only thing that did matter: himself.

Okay, and it was a little bit that Seth just couldn't take the whispers. He'd lost a lot of locker room respect once it was leaked that he'd cheated on his long-time fiance, Leighla. She'd been at the shows tons of times, and everyone really liked the pretty, smart, and independent woman. She got along easily with most people; and once she was out of the picture, people rolled their eyes whenever Seth walked into a room.

 _Chuck it in the fuck it bucket, and move on,_ he told himself on a daily basis. But it was so damn hard, knowing that everyone hated you based off from one huge, awful mistake. He often wished Vince had canned him immediately, wishing him best on future endeavors and all that. It would be a lot easier than the shit he put up with now. Between internet trolls and these people he had to work with, he was miserable in his own mind.

He acted like a big, mean asshole. But of course all this shit bothered him. He had let the media go wild, let them believe that he'd left Leighla for Zahra outright. In reality, Zahra was fun to be around, but that was about it. Their relationship started, and ended, in the bedroom. That's it. And now, he had to put on this facade that he was over it, over both of them. Ready to reach every goal within reach, the sky the limit.

His phone's search history, however, would prove that he was not over it at all. He found himself searching for pictures of Leighla more often than he'd like to admit, trying to find out if she moved on. Though she'd said to a mutual friend that they were cool, the last time he got her on the phone wasn't so great.

It usually started out fine, but then she'd start dissing Zahra and her "ratty hair," and "slutty tattoos." Seth did his best to keep his mouth shut regarding the other woman, but it never made a difference. Once Leighla started going, she really got going. She'd bring up everything and anything, eventually screaming that she never wanted to speak again, and please delete her number.

Sure, an outsider looking in would think that his ex was being a complete nutjob, but Seth knew that things wouldn't be like this if it wasn't for him. He let the guilt suffocate him every single day because who else was really to blame?

But, now he had nobody. And even though being alone took a toll on him, at least he didn't have the ability to fuck up anyone else's life.

For now, the only love he needed, or wanted, was for his career.

* * *

AJ swung her legs over the bar stool, siding up next to Paige. Corey Graves sat on the other side of her, engaged in a conversation with Cesaro. Though she hadnt really every spoken to either of them, they both said hello to her. Paige gave her friend a thumbs up, and AJ didn't feel out of place anymore.

Luckily, it looked like many of the other performers had found a different place to go. Only a handful had dragged their sore asses to this hole-in-the wall bar, and it was kind of nice to see the mid and lower card guys hanging out and shooting the shit.

AJ took a sip of whatever fruity drink Paige had just ordered for her, wincing immediately at the taste of the alcohol. She hadn't had a drink in so long, abiding by her vow alongside Phil to be a straight edge soldier. She felt kind of bad ass right now, doing something that he would surely wrinkle his nose at.

 _Fuck him and everything he pretends he is,_ she thought, sipping again. She heard loud, obnoxious laughing and turned to see Nattie, hanging out with big E and her husband, TJ. Even though Natalie was a veteran as well, she often spent most of her time with the NXT women. She also had it out for AJ, especially ever since she'd insinuated-on national television-that the only reason Nat had gotten a run with the WWE was because of her family ties.

Even though Nat was undoubtedly talented in the ring, AJ still stood by that statement. There were many women who had more talent that Niedhardt, and that was no lie. She was likable, though, having a big personality and an even bigger heart. The women's eyes connected for a moment, and Nat looked away, back to her conversation with the two men again. Looking right through AJ as if she wasn't even there.

"Don't worry about it," Paige said to her, noticing the frown that formed. "Once you work with her in the ring again, I'm sure that you guys will be able to stand being in the same room again."

"I don't know about that. At the time, I really thought...that what I was saying was true. And to some extent, I believe it still is. But now the only person that wants to even be around me is you, and even that must be a struggle," AJ thought back to her pipebomb, slamming the divas and publicly shaming them for broadcasting their lives on a reality TV show. That was something she could never understand; especially being a very private person like she was. Why take away the fun and mystery of the character, AJ Lee? She only wanted her fans to know her as the geek goddess, not the loser that sat at home and played video games on a Saturday night. Besides, her life was anything but glamorous. April Mendez-Brooks was a whole different person than what they saw, and that was just something she didn't want to broadcast.

Suddenly, the chatter began to pick up, and a large group of people came in all at once. AJ turned away, not recognizing any of them. Looked like a bunch of business women out for an after-office drink. They all chattered, loudly talking about the day and why was it so hard to be a woman in a world dominated by men?

AJ finished her drink, not stopping the bartender as he refilled it. Paige elbowed her, winking. "Proud of you," she murmured, happy to see her loosening up around everyone.

But then, everyone began talking around her, too. And she could hear her name being whispered.

"Yes, that's her alright."

"She doesn't even see her, does she?"

"I hope she doesn't. AJ can't keep her mouth to herself."

"Maybe that's the reason Phil left her ass."

AJ looked around to see eyes all looking towards her, but no mouths moving. It was like they all planned it, all at once. She wanted to scream, to set everyone straight. She wanted everyone to know the real reason she came back...but it was nobody else's business.

"Fuck," Paige cursed under her breath. "Don't look. Let's just finish our drinks, and let's go."

AJ followed the black-haired beauty's gaze to another woman. A blonde, tanned, woman stood along the other business ladies, her eyes staring straight at the pair.

Michelle Beadle.

"Well, hello there, April," she smirked, her mouth shiny from the lip gloss she wore. "It's been awhile."

* * *

 **Thanks again for reading!**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sheesh, impatient! I've been merrily writing this, anyways. I've been basically glued to WWE Network for like the past four days, I cannot get enough of the Trish/Lita Rivalries video. WOW! Anyways, here's a new chapter.  
**

* * *

 _Just ignore her. Pretend you don't know her. Punch her in the face. No, run._

AJ couldn't stand all the thoughts running through her head all at once, the perfectly polished woman still smiling at her. Her smile, of course, wasn't a nice one...they had never exactly seen eye to eye, and Michelle had actually sent a sympathy card to Punk in lieu of a wedding card once she'd heard of their union. She looked as though she wanted to say more, but for fear of being around so many people, held her tongue.

"We can go," Paige whispered, acknowledging the issue. AJ wondered if her friend even knew the full story, or if she could just tell that things just got really, really weird. But, how could _anyone_ not realize the sheer resentment in the room? Those two despised each other, and as of late, AJ felt like she was on the brink of insanity, ready to snap at any minute. Seeing this... _wench_ out and about didn't really make her temper mellow out at all.

"Michelle," AJ replied as smoothly and coolly as she could, trying to mentally persuade sarcasm and anger out of her tone. "It's really nice to see you."

"Wish I could say the same," Michelle still held her sick smile, her eyes locked on AJ's brown orbs.

Ready to punch her in the face, Michelle flipped her hair, much like the girls that bullied AJ back in middle school used to do. She got the sudden urge to get the hell out of that pub, and fast. Because if she didn't, this blonde bimbo would surely end up with a broken nose, and given her past encounters with the gorgeous ESPN worker, WWE would surely fire her ass. Michelle watched her, sizing her up. It was as though she expected that AJ was ready to bash her head against the concrete floor.

Not that it was such a bad idea.

"Oh, I heard the great news!" Michelle exclaimed, and now, AJ's heart felt like it was literally shredding.

 _How in the hell did she find out?_

"Oh, honey, you really didn't think he would keep interest in you, did you? Oh, dear." Michelle put on this faux 'big sister' gimmick, and AJ was now hyper aware of every single person in that room. Toeing up against her foe, AJ didn't even realize she'd gotten up from her stool.

"Just like he showed such great interest in you, right?" AJ breathed, her eyes locked. Michelle giggled stupidly, rolling her eyes. It was no secret she'd had a giant crush on the Cult of Personality, but her man-eating ways drove him away from the type of relationship she'd once hoped for.

"AJ, let's get out of here," Paige spoke again, rising from her chair. The whispers around them were hard to ignore.

"Yes, April, please do. Go ahead, publicly embarrass yourselves in front of your co-workers, yet again, with your tail tucked and your head bowed," Michelle waved her hand towards the door, as if she were shooing a fly.

"Alright, bitch, just leave her the fuck alone," Paige was clearly annoyed, her eyebrows knitted together with frustration and anger.

Michelle rolled her eyes and the younger woman, taking a sip from her drink. "I didn't realize April had a smaller dog biting ankles for her these days. Funny, I remember having such a loud, obnoxious bark back in the day. What happened?"

"I'm going to go," AJ mumbled, not able to take all of the cruel words in addition to the memories.

"Wonderful, darling. And make sure you give a ring to Phil, and tell him I said hi," Michelle smiled again, her eyes twinkling with passive aggression. She turned on her heel, and AJ felt lower than she ever had before. Why couldn't she properly stand up to her? Why did she feel so empty?

Not being able to handle the buzz of everyone, AJ dropped a bill on the bar and flew out the front door, Paige just an arm's length behind.

"Hey!" Paige called, and AJ was already halfway down the block.

She whipped around, now with stinging, hot tears in her eyes.

"Don't worry about her," Paige offered a hug, and AJ accepted, letting herself fall apart.

"I just want to feel like me again," she sobbed into possibly her only friend's shoulder.

"I know. I know the feeling all too well," Paige got quiet for a moment, reminiscing, perhaps, of her own awful heartbreak a few years back.

"She wouldn't be saying all those awful things if she really knew how things ended," AJ murmured between choked tears.

"Of course she would. Because she's an evil witch, and has it out for anyone who is obviously better than she is."

For awhile longer, the two divas stood there, hugging. Tons of cars drove by honking, and even more people stopped to take pictures of them. AJ could just imagine the ridiculous captions that would surely flood the internet soon, but she couldn't muster up enough energy to give any fucks.

"I'm going to head back," she said after what felt like hours. "You stay, have fun. I really just want to lay down for awhile."

Paige decided not to argue, urging her to text her throughout the night. AJ agreed, but knew that she would force herself into a sleep coma. It almost felt like lately, the only way she could escape all the demons in her life was while she was snuggled up under the blankets.

* * *

Seth felt great.

Like usual, he managed to beat his own records while working out. He was all about pushing his personal limit; all about growing both physically and mentally. Throwing himself so far into his exercise routine really helped him ease his mind, forget about all of the things in his life that weren't going the way he'd hoped. He just turned on some cool beats, and pretended that he was a superhero.

Pulling his earbuds out, he started towards the door, ready to get back up to his room to shower. He hadn't seen many people in awhile, and assumed everyone was pretty much still down at the pub. Maybe once he got himself cleaned up, he'd make an appearance...not that anyone really wanted to see him anyways.

Walking down the hallway, he noticed a shadow against the soda machine's illumination. The person was small, really small. She had long hair, and her face was buried in her knees.

It took him a minute, but he realized it was former WWE Divas champion, AJ Lee. Clad in her black sweats and absolutely atrocious Chicago Cubs t-shirt, she was almost unrecognizable. Seth was ready to carry on and find his room, letting her to her womanly antics. Who knew why she was hiding out from all of her peers? She was just as much a social leper as he was. But, he didn't have time for anyone else's problems...what about his own? He had a lot going on in his own mind, his own life. Why bother to stop and see if she was okay?

But, oddly enough, he found himself walking towards her. As if he were dreaming, and not in complete control of his actions.

"Hey, you alright?" he asked, lightly touching her shoulder. He was appalled at how nice he sounded, something he just didn't do anymore.

AJ's head lifted up, her eyes red and her cheeks blotchy. She wore her glasses on her head, probably so they didn't fog up.

"I'm sorry if I bothered you," he offered. "I can just...leave you be. Especially if you're this upset."

"It's not a big deal," she said quietly. "I didn't expect anyone to be here."

"Me, either," he responded lamely, their conversation quickly heading for a trainwreck.

He started to move, now anxious to get back.

"I miss him more than I'd ever like to admit," she said quietly. "This shirt is his."

Seth shook his head, wishing he were anywhere but here. He was so, so bad at dealing with meltdowns. Not to mention, this was frickin' psycho AJ that was sitting in front of him. It was no secret that she and Punk were on the fast track to a divorce, and while there were tons of opinion articles as to why that was, they both kept very quiet about it, as usual. But the way she presented herself right now, to him, said it wasn't by her choice. If he could guess, Seth would say Punk pulled the plug on the whole thing.

But why?

Whatever, it wasn't his problem.

"Good. I hoped that wasn't really your shirt," he gave a nice attempt at a smile, trying to make a stale joke.

"I am so sick of people thinking they know. Thinking they know a damn thing! I hate being scrutinized for my choices. Like, do you all really think that I wanted my life to fall apart the way that it did?" She balled her hands in her hair, much more like her character than the real-life AJ would do.

Seth knew that was an opening. If she wanted to talk about it, maybe he could lend an ear. He knew how lonely it was in his own head, so it was safe to assume she was rowing in the same boat as he was.

"I just miss him so much," she said, barely whispering the sentence. She shook her head, clearly sorry that she'd admitted that out loud. "But...I can't believe how quickly that fell apart."

Seth was growing more and more uncomfortable as her cheeks harbored more tears. He knelt down next to her, offering a hand. He still felt like he was in a dream, felt as if he was watching the whole scenario unfold from afar.

She looked up at him, her eyes rimmed with red. Her pretty hair was matted to her forehead, and Seth felt an overwhelming feeling in the pit of his stomach. She reminded him of a lost puppy, and fought the urge to brush the hair from her forehead. What was this weird emotion? Guilt? Sorrow?

Whatever it was, he didn't like it.

"Let me get you back to your room," he said to the sad woman, and she gave him a strange look.

"Why?" she asked almost inaudibly. "You're Seth Rollins."

"So? You're AJ."

AJ shrugged. "Not the same AJ as I used to be. Confident? Not anymore. Entitled? Used to be. But you...you're at the top."

Seth's eyebrows furrowed. "And your point?"

"You're at the top, and I know how lonely the view is. And, especially when you burn every bridge you have just for one person."

AJ's eyes narrowed, still ignoring his outstretched hand. She got up, tossing her messy hair over her shoulder. "I know who you are."

Seth could feel the anger burning in his chest, this whackjob getting under his skin quickly. This was exactly why he didn't bother to help anyone.

"Oh, do you really?" he finally gave in to the fury. "Really? Miss AJ Lee, too good to talk to anyone, too weirded out by her own fans that she won't even let them give her high-fives? Miss follow-in-the-footsteps of loser boyfriend Punk, walking out on a company when it was in a rocky state? Tell me, sweetcheeks, how do you have any idea who I am? Because to be honest, I'm certain we have spoken a grand total of twice prior to this."

AJ wiped her eyes, pursing her lips. "You're exactly like Phil," she said as she shoved past him, walking away and leaving him alone.

 _Jesus. She's just as fucked up as I am._

But he couldn't help but wonder why she'd said that. Because he'd yelled at her? Seth was nothing like CM Punk; the bit that he worked alongside him back in the day could prove that. Yeah, he'd admired the guy then, but it was clear that the veteran had expected to be at the top, all the time. And when he wasn't, he didn't feel like he was being treated fairly. Seth knew his time with the belt would end at some point, most likely to the ever-improving Roman Reigns. Though he silently hoped to be the longest-reigning WWE Champion in history, did he really do anything to take that epic title away? The only reason that record would be given to him would be to erase Punk's legacy forever.

He pushed AJ's strange behavior from his mind, deciding whatever allegations she'd made up pitting his behavior to the likes of her ex-husband.

Hopefully, he wouldn't cross paths with that crazy chick again anytime soon.


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: I appreciate my reviewers. No, I would never forget you guys. So glad to see my numbers slowly increasing for reads. Don't be shy, throw me a thumb's up if you like it, and a middle finger if you hate it.  
**

* * *

"I guess I just don't understand why she thinks she's got the right to leapfrog so many women who have been working their asses off at NXT just because she believes she deserves to be here," Brie was sitting with Paige, who was left by AJ just mere hours ago.

Paige shrugged, not one to talk ill of her good friend. "I can see why you feel that way, but she's already shattered her personal glass ceiling. And I'm not saying that just because I'm her friend."

"Maybe, but I hope she doesn't expect to skip on in here and compete for the title right off the bat."

"I doubt it. I know that Stephanie is still pretty unhappy with how she left, following in Phil's footsteps like that. She'll be punished for it. And, honestly, it's a wonder that they welcomed her back at all," Nikki spoke up, sitting on the other side of her sister. After making their grand entrance to the pub, the rumors were buzzing about AJ butting heads once again with Michelle Beadle, and Nikki was sorry she'd missed it. Not particularly being fond of either woman, it would've at least been cheap entertainment for the evening.

"I know you two don't like her much, but please try to be decent towards her," Paige urged the twins, both of which rolled their eyes as if on cue.

"Do you not recall the awful things she said about Total Divas?" Brie took a sip of her cranberry and vodka, raising an eyebrow at her friend.

"Of course I do, but she's...changed a lot. The people we date, or hang around with, or in her case, marry...seem to have a direct influence on how we think and feel. And I believe with all my heart that she's finally figuring out who she is, without CM Punk."

Nikki stuck her bottom lip out, pretending to fake cry. "What a sob story," she replied, wiping her non-existent tears.

"No kidding. Like, sure, Bryan has influenced me greatly, but never badly. Just because CM Junk is a jealous asshole doesn't mean it gives her any right to be," Brie pointed out.

Paige nodded, knowing fully well she was not going to change their minds. "She's just in a real funk," she said, drinking another beer. She almost wanted to spill what happened between AJ and Punk, in hopes of gaining some backstage sympathy for the Black Widow. But, she thought better of it, as she was sworn to absolute secrecy. AJ was a mess, and Paige knew that it was going to take some pretty heavy-duty duct tape to piece herself back together.

* * *

It was almost a week since AJ had the misfortune of running into Michelle Beadle. The rumors had quieted down, and nobody really cared anymore about how well she did-or didn't-conduct herself.

In the meantime, she threw herself into her work almost as much as when she was a rookie. Finding it took a huge amount off from her busy mind, she even noticed muscles that she didn't even realize existed. Spending more time with the weights than actual people was somewhat liberating, as they had no opinions of her.

But when she walked into her hotel room later that day, her slow, increasingly positive attitude was halted.

The envelope was there on the table. She'd had her lawyer send it to the WWE headquarters, as she couldn't be certain of what city she'd be in at the time. From there, it would be delivered to wherever she might be. The orangeish color was intimidating, the thickness very telling of the outcome of her paperwork.

She already knew what it was, and already knew what it had in it. Still, she sent a text to Paige, urging her to swing by after she was finished taping a segment for Total Divas. Paige responded quickly, but was apologetic in her text message: she had to film something for the WWE Network immediately following her current endeavor.

The envelope stared at her, and AJ decided that she just couldn't, and wouldn't, sit through this alone.

Gathering up physical strength and any amount of courage she had hiding, she peeked out the door and into the hallway, hoping that maybe Bayley or Becky Lynch were roaming the hallways...they were friendly faces, and AJ was sure they'd be willing to just sit in the same room as her.

Instead, she recognized someone that she didn't necessarily like, but hey, beggers can't be choosers. Right?

"Hey, John," she waved towards the purple-shirted man, who looked around as if she might've been talking to a ghost.

Even though she'd been thrown into stupid love triangles with John Cena, and he'd actually given her pretty valuable constructive criticism regarding her explosive character, she still had this weird attitude towards him. Maybe it was because of his extremely prolific relationship status, or maybe because he was considered (and unfortunately so) the male equivalent of AJ. Whatever the case was, she just didn't trust him in the least.

Yet, she still wanted someone to be there for her, because who knew what she was about to do...

"Hey...April," he finally spoke, surprised that she even acknowledged him. After their storyline fizzled out, she'd stated publicly; which soon was picked up on by various websites; that he was arrogant, hard to work with, and had a hard time selling their on-screen relationship because of his dislike for the tiny woman.

"Hey. Um, I know you hate my guts, but can I borrow you for a second? I just...I came back and found something in my room, and I don't really want to go it alone," she realized how vague she was being, but she thought for sure the angst in her voice and the perturbed look on her face was enough to bring him into her room while she opened up the beginning of the end.

"Is anyone else in there?" John Cena was hardly the type to just jump into any divas room, knowing fully well how quickly the gossip could go south if the wrong person saw him entering or exiting a room that didn't belong to his girlfriend.

"No," she stated flatly. "And I swear on my life that I am not playing any games. I just want someone here with me, for a second."

Glancing around, Cena finally gave a defeated sigh. "If you're up to any funny business, count me out," he said as he followed her inside. But when he eyed up the envelope in question, he shot her a quick, knowing glance.

"So the rumors are true," he said to her after a long moment, both of them staring at the issue as though it was a dead animal.

"Of course they are," she answered. "I'm here, aren't I?"

"I guess I hadn't thought of it that way. And look, even though he called quits, you shouldn't throw away your dream solely based off from someone you care about," he said knowingly, and AJ bit her lip so that she didn't correct his statement.

She wanted to scream to the whole world that she was the one who filed for the big d, not her husband. But, she supposed, the details didn't really matter.

"I know, I've been there," John continued, oblivious to the blank expression on AJ's face. "Liz wanted me to give up everything I'd accomplished, and I just didn't see the sense in that. She'd argued that I'd made enough money, that now it was time to stay at home and be a husband-and father-and I'd realized that I wasn't prepared for either of those roles. See, Phil is at that point. But I can see that you have so much more left in you, just like I did. He left at the point where he felt he couldn't do anything more. But you? You left when you still had this company by the nuts."

Even though John Cena had his story very twisted, AJ could understand his point. Yeah, she'd stepped away from the business even though, in her heart, she wasn't completely ready. She didn't really know what to prepare for as far as married life went, but it wasn't much different than what they were already doing. Phil wasn't home much, and she busied herself with other things. She, however, had hinted that eventually she'd wanted a family, whereas he shot that idea down all the time.

"I appreciate you being here. I just don't know what to expect," she admitted, her anxious mind going awry. They'd signed a pre-nup, of course; Phil wouldn't have it any other way. As if that weren't a red-flag.

Still, she almost expected that he'd make some ridiculous demands. Like keep her dog, Nacho, that he loved, too. Or perhaps some copyright bullshit for use of his last name during her time with the Beautiful Disaster clothing line. Either way, at least she wasn't alone. If she started punching walls, at least someone would be able to stop her from injuring herself.

Taking a deep, reluctant breath, she'd opened the envelope, eyeing the contents. It was much thinner than she'd expected, and she was happy to see that Phil hadn't returned paperwork of his own. Relieved, she pulled the full document, watching John cross and uncross his arms.

"He's not trying to take any more money, at least," she said quietly.

"That's a great start," he nodded, acting much more cool than he probably felt. AJ was sure he felt awkward being there, but she had to note how much of a trooper he was being. This guy didn't owe her a damn thing, yet here he was, being supportive as AJ unveiled the signed divorce papers, giving a final closure to her failed marriage.

Her heart sunk a little bit as she'd recognized his penmanship. She almost wished he'd written her an apology. Or offered any kind of explanation. But, she figured, maybe it was best this way. No loose ends. Besides, she already knew what happened, and she also knew that it wasn't her fault.

But with his signature, Philip Brooks, scrawled across the bottom of the papers, she felt like she'd made a huge mistake. She could feel the hot tears in her eyes already, and John was already at her side, offering a sincere, friendly hug.

"It's not your fault. The business we do...what we do...this is very normal," he said into her hair, as she let herself crumble, yet again. She felt like a small child in his massive arms, and even though she wished she was being comforted by AJ, she was extremely grateful that the great John Cena had made an ounce of time in his hectic day for something that seemed so ridiculous.

"I didn't think it'd be so soon," she said, something she'd thought all the time.

"Of course not," Cena replied, patting her awkwardly on the shoulder. She was aware that her tears were beginning to wet the shirt he was wearing.

"When I think back, to our wedding night, or when he proposed, or all the stuff we did together, it really sucks," she said through choked tears.

"I know it sucks, AJ, but seriously, I swear on my whole entire existence that someone will walk into your life, and you'll understand why it didn't work out the way you planned it to," he told her. "I got lucky and met Nicole. She's made me more aware of myself, and made me change my whole outlook. Even though it's obvious I don't want marriage or kids, the person I am while I'm with her is a happier, more relaxed version of myself. One day, you'll find that in someone, too," he gave her a small hug, stepping away from her.

Stunned at how much better he was actually making her feel, she stood there quietly, then began walking towards the door to escort him out.

"I'm really sorry this happened to you. But you'll get through it. Because I know you're a fighter, and I can guarantee that there is a better match for you," he gave an awkward shrug as he made his way to the door.

"I really appreciate you being here," she said again, her tears finally fading away.

"I know, AJ," he said, turning the knob. "Life throws us some serious bullshit sometimes, but I know you're going to rise up from this."

He left, and surprisingly, she felt as though she could run the world. Having someone who'd lived through the exact same drama coach her a little changed the way she thought about the whole situation.

AJ felt as though she was ready to rise up from the ashes and begin again. Feel again. And be the person she knew she could be.

* * *

"Nikki, I'm just telling you what I saw. And I can guarantee I saw your man just leaving AJ's room," Dolph Ziggler spoke to his ex-girlfriend, who was busy on the elliptical machine. She seemed to consider what he was saying, but clearly wasn't buying it.

"Dolph...John and I trust each other. So even if he stopped by, he probably had offered her some advice or something. Trust me, there's no way he'd trade in this-" she absentmindedly pointed to her chest-"for someone who looks like a twelve year old boy."

Dolph chuckled, but shook his head. "I know you think he's the greatest thing in the world, but she's clearly hurting. So she's going to look to anyone-and I mean, anyone-who gives her any sort of attention. Don't be surprised if she's knocking down Vince's door with an idea for a new storyline or something," he guffawed, and Nikki rolled her eyes.

"I seriously doubt it," she kept going on with her workout, not even looking at her ex-boyfriend's face anymore. "You're right, she is hurting. That's why I doubt she'd step on any of our toes. She knows better than that," Nikki grabbed the water bottle sitting in the hold, taking a drink while keeping her legs in motion.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. Or...maybe her goal is to get over a failed marriage by slutting it up with whoever is willing," Dolph raised an eyebrow, which caught Brie's attention across the room, over on a stationary cycle.

Nikki slowed her pace, knowing he was making an intentional jab at her _own_ past. She'd stated just a few years back she'd already been married, which ended badly, before her time with the WWE.

"I know you did not just bring that up, because you wouldn't dare," Brie called to him.

"You can probably just leave before I knock your pretty teeth where they don't belong," Nikki threatened. "And don't pretend you knew what was going on in my life after I got my marriage annulled."

Dolph spun on his heels, now catching Alicia Fox's attention as well. "I don't have to pretend to know, Nicole. I was there," he said nonchalantly, leaving the three recognized members of Team Bella.

Nikki got down from her machine after he'd left, seething at the audacity.

"Remind me that he's an arrogant pig," she breathed as Alicia Fox and Brie came over to her, both shaking their heads at what they'd just seen unfold. Nikki sort of wished the Total Divas cameras could've caught that altercation, since it would probably boost the ratings.

"Of course he is," Brie told her sister. "And even though I know you're not going to get what you want in life with John, I sure don't think Ziggy is going to be a winning prize, either."

Nikki turned to her sister, her mouth open. "Really, Briana? Fuck off," she was now really annoyed, being reminded she'd put her family plans in the back of her mind, something that was likely to never happen.

The leader of the pack left the other two in a huff, and Alicia Fox turned to the smaller twin.

"Well, I mean, it's true," she said to the mocha-skinned woman, who nodded. The pair made their way out, too, passing the WWE champion, Seth Rollins.

* * *

 _Bitch,_ Seth thought to himself as the big-boobed Bella pushed past him, not even uttering an "excuse me" his way.

Seth was ready for his third work out of the day, and it was only about one o'clock in the afternoon. But he didn't have a lot to pass his time until tomorrow night's episode of Raw, and because of that, he was doing anything to fill his day up.

Anything.

He'd gotten a phone call from his Zahra just an hour or so ago, and that put him in almost an instantly terrible mood. He'd told her a thousand times over how he was just done with her, yet she still pressed forward, implying that she'd be hoping to spend some time with him after he'd finished taping Smackdown a few days later.

"I know you miss being tangled up in me," she said quietly, her voice sultry and tempting. But that's exactly how Zahra was; she'd latch on to someone, and when she wanted someone, she got them. Even if the person her sights were set on happened to be engaged.

Seth shook off the chills she'd just given him, remembering how shitty things got in his life _because_ of Zahra and her manipulative ways.

"Zee, listen. You're free to text me, but I've got a lot going on here," he stood his ground, even though the idea of spending hours in bed with the wild, feisty woman was very intriguing. "You know as well as I do that I don't have time for any relationships."

Zahra huffed in the fun. "Oh, Sethie, you should know me better. As if I want a relationship," she was getting shaken up, and Seth could hear it in her voice now.

"Yeah, of course not," he was only half-listening, but he knew better than to believe any of that cock and bull. Chicks always got attached, and even though she was notably trashy, Seth already knew that eventually, feelings would develop. So, no. No, no, nope.

"Fine, forget it," she finally said, an edge to her tone as she curtly said goodbye to him.

Glad to be finally rid of her for now, he nodded towards Roman Reigns as he did his regular bench press.

Roman grunted in response, barely acknowledging his former Shield brother.

Seth sighed, hoping one day, his colleagues would just forgive him for his stupid choices. His couple of friends were great, but he certainly missed being friends with everyone. He missed when people would make a point to stop and talk to him. Maybe one day, things would get better.

Until then...well, at least he had the clanking of the weights.


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: This, my friends, is why you always back up your chapters. You'd think after all the time I spent writing both here and back in school, I'd learn that much by now...**

 **This is a re-written chapter that my dumb ass deleted by accident. It will be basically the same as I wrote prior, so if you've already read this, carry on and go to the next-and don't forget to review.**

 **You may also notice I changed the audience rating from T to M. I hope this doesn't lose any fanship; this is only to protect my own ass in case the direction of the story ends up a little heavier.**

* * *

"AJ and Paige, go," the backstage technician waved the women forward, holding his headset closer to his ears so that he could hear his next command over the boom of AJ's theme song. Taking a deep breath, Paige squeezed AJ's hands, pushed the curtains aside, and mentally began to prepare for their match against Team Bella.

They looked like the couple of kid-dults they really were, two grown women skipping down to the ring. Paige did the little side step to the beat, AJ followed suit, her hands tucked behind her back. They both sported Paige's new "This is My House" t-shirt, with matching cut-outs to make them a little more interesting. AJ had a knack for cutting and weaving her shirts that she wore in the ring; she was a regular Martha Stewart as far as her craftiness with the scissors was concerned.

Although they were heels in this competition, the shock from AJ's return still hadn't worn off with many of the fans. They still got a warm welcome, with AJ skipping once more around the ring while her partner climbed up on the apron, her signature banshee scream getting a nice pop yet again from the audience.

AJ sat up on the ropes like she normally would, Paige next to her, pointing at some guy's sign in the audience in an appreciative manner. She turned, clapping AJ on the shoulder.

"You ready?" she asked when the camera began to peel away from them.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

 _"You can look, but you can't touch..."_

Alicia Fox, Brie, and Nikki tore out of the curtain, evil and arrogant smiles on each of their faces. AJ shot a look to the raven-haired diva, rolling her eyes as Nikki and Brie swiveled their hips to their music. The audience cheered for them, too; they were clearly very popular among the WWE Universe. AJ found herself wondering who in the hell thought it was a good idea for Alicia to wear a tutu down to the ring-she looked like a moron. Whoever it was ought to be fired. Not that Brie's ring gear was any better today; her cut-up black tights had holes so close to her lady parts that if she moved wrong, the whole world might see little Bella.

As the trio neared the ring, AJ noted that Nikki Bella sported ridiculously high Nike heels. They looked terrible. What was the point of wearing basketball shoes with heels, anyways? They matched her black and red Bella attire, so it was safe to assume they were specifically made for her. After all, she had a knack for all things expensive. It was also a good indication, however, that any involvement she had in their match would be kept to a minimum, as the teetering on her stilts wouldn't do her any good against AJ's Chucks.

Still looking smug, Nikki Bella called for the microphone, and AJ couldn't help but cringe. Sure, Nikki had improved significantly with her in-ring abilities, but for the most part, that was it. Her last huge storyline, against Brie, was horrible and painful to watch, the acting atrocious and the story just simply unbelievable in and of itself. It set their characters back, in AJ's opinion.

 _I don't remember a promo being scheduled. Must've missed it._

"How cute, Brie. The anti-diva, past and present-" she made quotations in the air with her free hand-"Adorable that you two even found each other again. Even after crazy little AJ here chose to leave this company, her career, and even you, Paige. Possibly the only friend she had behind. You're so forgiving, kudos to you," she gave faux enthusiasm. "And all for what, exactly? A dirty, nasty city like Chicago!"

Did she really just say that? Boos emerged from the audience and, much to the dismay of pretty much everyone, a small section up in the balcony area broke out into "CM PUNK" chants. AJ shook her head, trying to block out the memories she had with her former husband in this very ring. Knowing that any mention of the former superstar's hometown might break into such chants, there was no way in hell this little stunt they were pulling was cleared by the creative team.

Alicia clapped wildly for her, peering down her nose in a way; acting like she was _actually_ better than any of them. Brie tapped her sister's shoulder, and Nikki obliged, handing her sister the microphone as the chants began to quiet down. AJ, however, was seething; and she didn't even feel when her friend rubbed her shoulder, trying to get her to relax. She hadn't even realized she'd stood up, ready to bash some faces in.

"And we can all see how _that_ turned out," she said simply, her words dripping with venom. Another crowd reaction-this time, gasps-as AJ couldn't take it anymore. Leaping between the ropes, she flew out of the ring, praying that they wouldn't move. Praying that she'd hit all of them.

Her tiny body took out all three women, who were stunned that she came flying at them. Nikki was on her ass, struggling to get up in her dumb heels. Foxy took the grunt of her aerial attack, crawling to their side of the ring. AJ tossed Brie into the ring by her hair, sliding in and preparing to make her pay for even bringing up Phil in the slightest.

Gaining offense quickly, she had her backed up against her own ringpost, varying different kick combos against her abdomen. She tried to push AJ out of the way to catch a breath, but she kept coming back for more, intending to leave some bruises. Brie pushed her back once again, this time, AJ gave her a nasty bulldog. She must've caught part of her face with her fingernail, a red line emerging from the bottom of her nose to her cheek. She set her up for a Shining Wizard, but instead, was blindly tagged by Paige.

"You really need to calm down, love," she whispered as a shocked look crossed AJ's face. She could've had this done and over with in less than a minute! "Before you hurt her for real," she said quietly, as AJ found her spot on the apron.

She could vaguely hear the announce team behind her, JBL making excuses for Team Bella's ad-lib, trying to cover-up the fact that it shouldn't have even happened to the viewers at home.

Those bitches.

* * *

"Hey, ladies, good work out there. Great match," Big E stood beside the curtain, waiting for the commercial break to end so he could get to perform his match. He hadn't spoken much to AJ since their own little stable broke up, and though as far as she knew there was no legitimate reason, it was still kind of sad. The days she spent with E and Ziggler were always fun, the three of them shooting up to the main card quickly with their antics. But, she supposed, he had moved in a good direction anyways. His new faction, the New Day, seemed to make a nice impact on the crowd, were fun to watch, and held tag team gold.

"Thank you, darling!" Paige sung, giving him a quick hug. For whatever reason, she'd taken an immediate liking to E, often teasing him for his bodybuilding stature but very short height. "Here's hoping we made you proud!"

Their mini celebration was short-lived as Brie and Nikki stomped up to the pair, red as their own gear. Brie's scratch had worsened, and AJ felt really badly for it. Normally, she was much more careful...but, she was in the heat of the moment, grabbing for hair...

"What the hell was that out there?" Brie demanded to know, pointing to her own face. "AJ, seriously? You know that I have to do a s hoot for E! Online tomorrow, right?"

"No, I didn't. I'm really sorry...it was an accident," she remained flat in tone, hoping she sounded as sincere as she felt. Even though she thought the Total Divas show was a joke, it had really opened doors for the women in it. They were already talking about a possible spin-off for the Bella Twins, and of course they deserved just that.

"Of all people, you should know better," Nikki stated, her attitude very salty towards the smaller woman.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"Wait a second, wait a second," Paige walked over from shooting the shit with E. "Nikki, Brie. I love you ladies greatly, but don't come flying off the handle at AJ. What in the world was with that little promo? There's no way Stephanie approved that. And it's so not cool to bring up AJ's personal life."

Brie rolled her eyes as her sister scoffed. They looked like snotty teenagers, and AJ remembered why she was so angry with them to begin with.

"Whatever, Paige. AJ Lee and CM Punk are trending right now on Twitter. Why hide it? We just decided to make things more interesting," Brie replied, still holding a bitchy tone.

"That wasn't your decision to make," Paige remained calm, but fire was burning in her eyes, which were hooded heavily with her dark eye make-up. She looked ready to brawl all over again.

"Fine, we're sorry," Nikki offered, sensing the hostility in the air. They'd started to draw an audience, and AJ began to feel very uncomfortable. "We just thought you were over it. Why else would you be here?"

"So she can _get_ over it, you numbskull!" Paige raked her hand through her hair, her temper beginning to rise.

Nikki took offense to that. "Um, speaking of numbskulls, you know what else wasn't planned? You, AJ, leaping through the ropes and trying to take out all of us. Talk about a surprise! You could've seriously been injured. Talk about letting your emotions get the best of you."

"I was taking my chance on that one of you could catch," AJ said quietly, not able to look the woman in the eye anymore. Why was she acting like such a wuss when it came to Nikki Bella? And why was she allowing Paige to fight her battle for her?

Nikki clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "You're really lucky that all three of us did. Because pulling stunts like that, you could end up breaking your neck. And you know what breaking your neck can do? Kill you, or kill your career. Just ask your little hero, Lita-"

And at that, AJ saw red. Literally. The next thing she knew, her right hand was numb, and Nikki Bella was on the concrete floor, holding her face. Her sister, kneeling beside her, had a horrified look on her face. The faces of everyone around them, superstars and divas alike, all watched with shocked expressions. It took a moment for her, but AJ realized she'd actually lashed out at the former Divas champion. Her hand flew up to her mouth, her eyes meeting Paige's.

"I'm so sorry," she said from behind her mouth. "I don't know what happened-I didn't mean-" she began to walk backwards, and ran straight into a brick wall.

No, not a brick wall. Just Brian James, better known to the WWE fans as Road Dogg.

"You," he pointed at the brunette. "Come with me."

He motioned for the crowd around them to move along, and AJ felt much like she'd just gotten caught fighting on the playground. Memories of her scrappy teenage years emerged.

On their way down the hallway, AJ tried to come up with a backup plan. Knowing that WWE had pretty strict no-violence guidelines, it was a safe bet that once they'd gotten to Stephanie McMahon's office, she was going to be let go. She could work for Ring of Honor? No, Maria worked there. TNA? Surely, one of Punk's other ex-girlfriends was there, as well. It was certain she wouldn't be welcomed with open arms at either one of those establishments; besides, she'd heard that TNA was doing worse financially than the WWE.

What was she going to do after tonight? She had nowhere left...Chicago was out of the question...

Their journey felt like an eternity, twisting and turning down every hallway until they got to Stephanie's makeshift office in the depths of the arena's basement.

"Sit down," he popped open a metal chair, motioning towards the unforgiving object. She did, the coolness shocking her instantly as it licked at her toned legs that her denim shorts didn't cover. She felt chilled, and wished she had a sweatshirt or something.

"Stephanie will be with you when she's ready," Brian offered. He left without another word, not saying either a positive or negative remark that might be deductive of AJ's fate.

She looked for a clock, but didn't find one. She counted the tiles on the ceiling from where she was seated. 64. Maybe Stephanie wasn't even in there. Or, maybe she was making numerous calls to the headquarters, trying to get some advice on how to handle the whole situation...yes, that was probably it...

"Kind of feels like you're waiting at the principal's office," a smooth voice jerked her head up, and she met eyes with current WWE champion, Seth Rollins. He popped open a nearby metal chair of his own, taking a seat right next to AJ.

She uncomfortable crossed and un-crossed her legs, still wearing her wrestling boots. The last time she'd spoken to Rollins was beyond terrible. She was a real asshole to him, even though he was just trying to help. She was caught up in her own problems, very sad at the time, and ached to be left alone. And instead of just telling them that, she put him in his place, making him feel badly about his own life choices.

But when it came down to it, she just didn't, and couldn't, trust him.

"Yeah...sort of," she agreed, hating how childish she sounded. She felt like she was ready to cry, and probably looked that way, too.

"If my opinion means anything, and it doesn't, I say good for you to throwing a punch her way. Keep her quiet for awhile," Seth offered, stretching out lazily against the chair. He wore his own ring gear, which meant it wasn't the end of the show yet: he was main-eventing tonight.

"I'm going to get fired," she said quietly, but with enough oomph to make it a statement of fact.

"I doubt it, AJ. Seriously. I would've done the same thing if someone aired my dirty laundry in front of the world. They deserved that. I'd go in an tell Stephanie exactly what happened. Maybe grovel a little bit."

 _There were plenty of eyes watching the debacle unfold, but I really don't remember Seth's,_ AJ thought to herself. _I don't think he was there._

"Hasn't your dirty laundry been aired in front of the world? Or, lack of laundry, I should say?" she replied boldly, wondering why he was even being nice to her at all. She'd decided that he was mocking her. Since Seth was a member of that little Authority group, he probably already knew that by the end of the night, she'd be packing her bags.

Yes, he was mocking her.

But, he snapped his fingers as though she'd just made the smartest statement in the world. "Yes, everyone knows by business, but only because of the world wide web. None of my co-workers have the audacity to humiliate me in my only sanctuary-the ring. Because they have class. And clearly, Brie and Nikki don't. That was not cool."

Finally, the office door swung open, a frazzled Stephanie McMahon standing in the doorway. She wore a black mini-dress and tall, black ankle booties. Her hair was pulled up in a sleek bun, and AJ had to admire the bicep muscle that woman was putting on. She looked better than ever, healthy, and if it weren't for the concern on her face, she was probably very happy.

"Come on in, AJ," she sighed, her eyes looking down at the smaller woman. AJ got up quickly, almost too quickly. Her thighs stuck to that chair for a minute, and it sort of hurt.

"Good luck, sweetcheeks," Seth called, and she shot him a glare. He was such a pig. He gave her a wink as she followed Stephanie in, and she opted to ignore him. She probably would never see him again, anyways.

"You can be seated," Stephanie motioned to the cushy office chair opposite of her own, her voice even and not giving any edge to it. AJ didn't know what to expect from her.

Stephanie stood as AJ plopped down, folding her hands on the wood of Stephanie's desk. She looked at the photograph she'd propped up in a simple silver frame: her daughters, clad in white t-shirts and blue jeans. Other than that picture, there was nothing to keep AJ's fate off from her mind. Stephanie paced a little bit, unwilling to sit across from her and let her know what in the hell was going on. The air was growing thick in tension, and AJ was sure she would get a heart attack just worrying about her status with the company.

"So, April...you already know why you're here," Stephanie sniffed. It seemed like it had been hours since she'd spoken; the air thick with anticipation.

 _"Grovel a little,"_ Seth's bitch-ass voice rang in AJ's ears. What did she have to lose?

AJ nodded to the statement. "I know I acted like an idiot. I don't know why I flipped out...it's like I wasn't even me. When they'd started ripping on me during the promo..."

"That," Stephanie finally sat down, opposite of her, "Was not approved in the slightest by my team. I would never put anyone in an uncomfortable situtation if they didn't want to be," Stephanie held her gaze, and AJ knew that she was being very serious. She had no idea Nikki and Brie would go off-script.

"I didn't think you guys would approve something like that," AJ said quickly. "I know it's big news right now, but you guys have respected mine and Phil's privacy for pretty much as long as I can remember."

Stephanie glanced down at AJ's hand, motioning towards her missing wedding ring. "Not everything needs to be explained, AJ. I know you're going through a lot right now. I've read the article, and I'm really sorry that you're going though all of this. As young as you are, it's really too bad..."

 _Article? What article?  
_

"But, of course, as you know, we have a zero-tolerance policy for backstage scuffles," Stephanie stated. "You really ought to be dismissed for your actions tonight, lashing out at Nikki Bella like that-"

"Oh, Stephanie, you and I both know that I wouldn't have done anything like that if it weren't for those two blabbing about all of my problems," AJ stood up for herself, much to the surprise of her boss. "I do feel badly for how I acted," she mellowed a little. "I don't know what happened. It was weird. As soon as Nikki mentioned...that name...I just lost it. I wasn't thinking," she looked away from Stephanie, quickly wiping the little tear that was forming in her tear duct. How embarrassing.

She mentally scolded herself for allowing herself to show raw emotion during this moment with Stephanie, wishing she had the strength to act like nothing happened and that nothing was wrong.

"I know," Stephanie replied. "AJ, you're not going to get let go tonight," she said finally, the tension suddenly shifting in the room. AJ's eyes shot back, a questioning look in her eyes. "But please note, we certainly do not condone the violence you exhibited. Your circumstances are a little bit different."

"Really?" she asked meekly. "I...really appreciate it, I mean. I don't know where else I'd be, if it weren't for here."

Stephanie seemed to be gathering up composure. That could only mean one other thing.

"How much do I owe for the fine?" AJ asked, assuming that was where this conversation was heading.

"You won't be paying a fine, either," Stephanie waved her hand in the air, now wearing an apologetic look. AJ didn't know what to make of that look.

"Our champion, Seth Rollins, let Pat Patterson know what had happened backstage immediately. And, as you can imagine, being one of our top stars, his word is valued greatly. Therefore, we officials believe what he said. You've got a guardian angel watching out for you, April."

 _My knight in shining armor,_ AJ thought bitterly, though she knew she should be more appreciative.

"I don't understand, then," she replied, fiddling with the hem of her shorts. Paige had been punished for screwing up previously, not getting championship shots and having even worse luck in the ring. It was safe to assume something terrible was heading AJ's way.

Stephanie was silent for a moment, and AJ knew she was choosing her words carefully.

"We've discussed your punishment. You can keep your job. You don't need to pay a fine. But you're an established diva...so, we'd like you...to lose to Eva Marie," Stephanie finally spit it out, refusing to make eye contact as she asked AJ for this weird request.

"No. No, nope, no way. Not happening," AJ responded, recalling the "All Red Everything" diva in her most recent match on NXT. She sucked at the highest level of suckery, and that was saying something. For as much as that girl trained, she was still terrible, and a huge blow to AJ to even request that she'd lose to her. For a split second, she almost wished that Stephanie had just canned her.

"Nobody would ever believe that that pile of crap could win against me," she replied, still shutting down the idea.

"It doesn't have to be a clean loss!" Stephanie countered, her eyes pleading now. "I've got my arms behind my back here. According to Rollins, you didn't necessarily do anything wrong. Just what anyone else would do in the same situation...but I can't let you go unpunished."

"Give me a fine, then," AJ remarked, feeling her anger rise.

"Please, AJ. Train with her for a month, lose to her during the next Pay-Per-View...I'll even have it written in that Brie interferes, costing you the win," Stephanie wasn't asking anymore; this was a demand.

AJ tossed the possibilities around in her mind. Eva Marie couldn't hold a candle to any of the women on the current roster, which made sense as to why she'd win against someone who was already established like herself. She didn't understand in the slightest why the management wanted to jam the redhead down everyone's throat. There were so many more women-Bayley, Dana, and Alexa Bliss even, just to name a few-who were better than Eva. All she had was a pretty face, a lot of money, and a good trainer.

"Why Eva?"

Stephanie considered the question, not answering straight away. "She's not my number one choice, either," she finally admitted. "But she's been paying the price. Literally. Just work with her for a little while. Teach her a thing or two."

"If Brian Kendrick hasn't gotten through to her, what makes you think that I will?"

Stephanie tapped her perfectly manicured fingernails on the oak of her desk. "Because you're AJ," she replied. "A legend in the making. I think if she listens to anyone's advice, it might be yours."

Considering this again in her brain, AJ felt herself giving in to the pressure. "Fine. But this won't be a clean win, and won't guarantee her a title shot," she offered.

"You're in no position to make a proposition, but yet, I agree. She won't be in the title picture right now. Just please, help us put her over a little, and you can get away with a slap on the wrist."

"Fine," AJ finally agreed, exasperated. As if she had another choice...she should feel lucky, but in reality she was feeling like a sell-out.

 _Maybe Rollins was still out there. He knew all about selling out to the authority..._

"Thank you," Stephanie said finally, rising from her seat. "Oh, and if it's any consolation to you, we do plan on fining Brie Bella for her outburst on air."

"Thank you," AJ replied back, feeling just barely better about how much of a shit-storm she'd just steered clear from.

Motioning toward the plywood door, AJ realized that their little meeting was over. Stephanie held the door open for her, and AJ expected to see that worm, Seth, to be waiting outside, awaiting Stephanie for whatever discipline she'd throw his way.

But he wasn't there; two empty chairs staring at her.

"Something wrong?" Stephanie questioned, noticing the confused look crossing AJ's face.

"Seth...didn't he need to see you next?"

Now, it was the billionaire's turn to look confused. "No, of course not. I got the information I needed from him already. Why would he?"

"No reason," AJ covered her ass quickly, now unsure of if she'd dreamed up Seth's presence just awhile ago. Was she really such a nutjob lately?

Hightailing it out of there, she sighed a sigh of relief. She wasn't going to like the consequence in the least, but she had a home yet in the WWE.

* * *

 _It was the right thing to do,_ Seth reminded himself as he began to do his stretches for the evening. Very soon, he'd be fighting his own battle against the demon, Kane. For the last half an hour or so, he'd inserted himself into the stupid-ass diva drama between The Bellas and AJ Lee. Even though he wasn't there and had only seen and heard bits and pieces of the truth, he still stood up for the returning diva.

Not only did he despise the twins, he really didn't want the divas division to lose someone who had actual talent. Like him, AJ had been put under a magnifying glass. He identified with her in a way, feeling badly for her and all of the troubles she'd been going through. He'd seen the article that was all over the web; everyone had. By God's grace, he'd been given a second chance. She deserved one, too.

Call it his charity work for the year.

Beginning to do squats, the door slammed open, revealing Kevin Owens in an excited panic.

"Dude, you missed it," he said hurriedly, ignoring Seth in the middle of his pre-match routine. "AJ and the Bellas. Showdown. She socked big boobs in the face!"

"'Bout time someone did," Seth replied, positioning his left foot up against a locker and touching his toes. Though his attitude reflected his indifference, he really was happy for the Black Widow. Since she'd returned, she was literally floating backstage: she didn't talk to anyone, nobody talked to her. Once someone put pressure on her for her return, she made a statement.

And maybe punching Nikki Bella in the face wasn't a statement that would gain brownie points, but he still found it entertaining.

"Yeah, but you know how they are about backstage fighting. Shit, they've let people go just for saying the wrong thing behind the scenes. Do you think AJ'll get fired? Even right after her big return?"

"Hope so," Seth replied dully, showing no interest in this conversation. He definitely didn't want to let on that he was the main player behind AJ's immunity. The last thing he wanted was to tell the truth. As far as Owens was concerned, Seth could care less about the divas division. Not to mention, if he mentioned that he had any involvement, Kevin would probably bring that to Cesaro. And while for the most part, Kevin was trustworthy, Antonio talked to a lot of people. The rumor mill would churn, and everyone would believe that he'd saved AJ from termination because he actually gave a shit about her.

And the last thing Seth Rollins needed was to be tied into some backstage love story with crazy fucking AJ. If Zahra or Leighla caught wind of that, he'd be castrated via social media in a heartbeat.

"You hope she gets fired!?" Kevin Owens replied, appalled. "Come on. Nobody could feasibly replace AJ." Kevin seemed like a little kid, and Seth could feel himself growing more annoyed as he kept talking.

Seth shrugged, now working on his shoulders. "I guess. But she kind of acts like she's better than everyone else. They survived without her before, they could do it again. Besides, she came back acting like the WWE owes her something." Seth knew none of his arguments were valid, but he made it his personal mission to sound like he meant every word.

Owens scoffed. "You mean, just like you?"

Seth halted his work out, catching his friend's stare. "No, not like me," Seth replied coldly, hating the comparison.

"You do the exact same thing. You have a few friends. You plug through life, pretending you don't give a shit about anyone else. You work, you sleep, and you're in the gym. You two are two peas in a pod. The only person you look out for, Seth, is yourself."

Seth shrugged. "Yeah, because people are disappointing, and they suck," he replied, beginning to get annoyed with his friend. "Now, can we move on?"

Kevin shook his head, defeated. "You really are an asshole," he responded.

"Yeah, and why'd you come in here again? To gossip about the divas? What is this, high school gym class. Move along, man. Because if I remember correctly, I have a pretty big match against the Big Red Machine. And the last thing I need to concern myself with is this stupid shit, packaged with tits and ass. No thank you. Go find something to do, man. I've gotta finish my stretches."

Throwing his hands up in anger, Kevin left his friend alone in the locker room.

Catching a glimpse of Naomi bouncing out to the ring with her husband on the tiny television monitor, his thought process was confirmed: saving AJ's career was the right move.


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: I appreciate my reviewers. No, I would never forget you guys. So glad to see my numbers slowly increasing for reads. Don't be shy, throw me a thumb's up if you like it, and a middle finger if you hate it.  
**

* * *

"Okay, you've got to tell me how you got away without getting your ass fired," Paige flopped on to the bed of their shared hotel room, clad in black sweats and a plain white t-shirt. She had already taken her clip-in extensions out and washed off her stage makeup, ready to get to bed rather than hang around the divas. They, after all, planned on getting totally tipsy tonight, and unfortunately for Paige, she had to be at the performance center at nine in the morning to run some drills. That, and in light of today's events, she couldn't stand to leave AJ sit there and wallow in her self-pity.

"You don't want to know," AJ didn't even look up at her friend while she spoke, her nose buried in a comic book, munching on a bag of cheese popcorn.

"First of all, yes I do. And second of all, no," Paige snatched the fatty food away, shaming AJ for her unhealthy decision. Their dietitian would have a heart attack if he knew she was absentmindedly sowing down a whole bag of greasy, cheese corn.

"Hey!" AJ protested, her head snapping up in objection. But the feeling must've passed, as she stuck out her tongue and got back to her book.

"Seriously? I'll snatch that from you next," Paige threatened, and her eyebrows knitted together, proving she was very serious about her intentions.

AJ sighed. "I should've gotten shit canned. And I'm going to wish that I was, I'm sure of it. My knight in shining armor decided to let the officials know that Brie and Nikki kind of took it too far, provoking an attack."

"And that would be who, exactly? Big E?"

AJ threw her comic down, sliding her thick-rimmed glasses off, tossing them on the bedside table next to her.

"The funny thing is, it was that slimy worm, Seth Rollins. And I know that I had tunnel vision in that moment, but I really don't remember him even being over in that area at all," she admitted shyly. "But, regardless, the Princess beckoned me into the dungeon, and even though I expected a brutal slaying, I instead have to perish to the wicked witch of the WWE."

"Okay, I have no idea what you're talking about, but you gotta quit beating around the bush. And no, I don't think Rollins was around, either."

"I have to lose to fucking...ugh," AJ tore her eyes away, standing up from her chair she'd been glued to since she'd gotten back from the show. She still couldn't wrap her head around the day. Not to mention, everyone kept bringing up one this post about her ex-husband. She fought everything in her not to go looking for it. She ignored every alert her phone sang in her direction, knowing that right now, she couldn't handle whatever potential mockery would await her.

Of course, she figured this big "news" was just TMZ reporting on the very same crap she'd packed a bag in the middle of the night for. Phil's new...old...whatever...relationship was nothing new to her, anyways, and if she'd learned anything from people who were in the midst of really horrible scandals, she just had to stand tall and proud, and own it. Pretend it never happened, move on, and eventually, find peace and happiness.

"AJ!" Paige yelled again, and put her thinking back on track. She'd been doing that more and more lately; allowing her brain to go on these crazed tangents with no real result or solution. Instead, she just became more and more anxious, secluding herself from people more than she normally might.

"Sorry, sorry...it's just truly that awful. I've got to lose to Eva Marie," she stated matter-of-factly, and Paige's face fell in disbelief.

"You're shitting me, right?"

AJ shook her head, her lips pursed. She wanted to say more, but words failed her.

"Well, at least you have a job," she sighed, offering a gentle hug to the shorter woman. AJ accepted, allowing herself to feel bad.

"I know. I just don't see myself hearing the end of this one. I wish I could just understand, why her? When they've got Dana and Emma and Bayley on NXT, blowing the place up. Or Alexa, even, makes Eva look stupid in the ring. Those women have more drive than she ever would, and I am so sad to see that the only reason is because she's stunning."

Paige snapped her fingers, gesturing one finger towards her. "You got it, babe. She's smoking hot, so we'll force our fans to watch her continuously botch her own finisher. WWE logic, like usual."

"I made sure they knew it wouldn't be a clean loss. But it's still a Pay-Per-View loss, which really sucks, because it knocks me down further on the ladder," AJ continued.

"Which is exactly what WWE wanted," Paige remarked, and AJ agreed, though she hadn't thought of that initially. Paige tucked her hands behind her head, staring at the ceiling.

"So, do you have plans for the next few days? I know that you have off, too, after the performance center tomorrow. I just don't really know what I'm going to do with myself. You have a guest room at your place with Kevin, right?" AJ had unintentionally sounded hopeful, and she couldn't hide the shakiness that went along with it.

"Aw, AJ, I'm sorry. I've got to do this thing with Kevin's band, it's some special appearance they're making," she frowned. "Not that that's what I'd really like to be doing, but he's supportive, so I ought to be as well. Still, I'd prefer actually spending time at the house that we spent way too much on to never be at."

 _Shit._ Now what was AJ going to do?

"You've got all night to figure it out, my darling crumpet. I wouldn't worry too much about it," Paige offered, her eyes still closed.

AJ could sense that Paige was exhausted, and would soon be snoozing. Instead of climbing to bed, too, she suddenly got the urge to do something. Anything, really; she just wanted to keep her mind busy. It was silly that she sit there while she was wide awake and watch her friend crash. So, quickly fumbling for a pair of blue jean shorts and a zip up hoodie, she slid on her most beat-up pair of Chucks without bothering to put on her socks, grabbed her phone from the tiny table that the hotel provided them, and headed out the door.

Wandering through the hotel with nowhere to go, she probably looked like a disgruntled teenager forced on a family vacation. A few bellhops eyed her up, but she pretended not to notice. She was good at pretending nobody existed.

Wishing she could just pull herself out of this funk she put herself in, she recounted the memory of John Cena being nice enough to be with her as she opened up her finalized divorce papers. Big d. God, she still couldn't believe it.

"You tend to roam the halls an awful lot," someone said to her, standing in the shadow. She hoped it wasn't who it was, but with her luck...well, of course it was.

"Seth," she replied, quirking an eyebrow at him. "Are you following me?"

Seth smiled-ugh, those teeth again!-and shook his head. "No, sweetcheeks. I'm trying to get hold of Leighla, and the only place I can get any reception is right here." he motioned towards the corner, his mood improved yet again since the last time that he saw her. He had his hair pulled back in a manbun, but somehow, he pulled it off.

 _Oh...of course._

"I see. I just have a lot on my mind, you know...oh! And thank you for lying to the Authority to save my ass. That was the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me," AJ said quickly, wishing she could just clamp her mouth shut. Seriously, sometimes her brain just didn't know when to stop her mouth from opening.

"Lie? I would never. What I said happened really did happen; Nikki and Brie tried to rip open a very raw wound. On purpose, at that. I don't think you did the world a disservice by throwing that self-righteous bitch a hook."

AJ smirked, feeling better. "I appreciate it. But you weren't even there."

"Nah, but sometimes you just know." his eyes flitted back to his sleek phone, which was suddenly illuminating in the corner. With a quick thumb, he slid open his screen, quickly rolled them across as he made a sour face. It was safe to assume he'd gotten his response from Leighla back, but not what he'd hoped to hear. Still, AJ felt kind of stupid standing there as he griped over his ex-fiancée, so she began edging towards the door that was marked "EXIT" just towards the left of her obstacle.

"Sorry, I don't mean to be rude. Want some company?"

 _Um...no_ , she thought bitterly to herself, but instead heard herself agreeing. She'd been so sick of holing up in her hotel room and limiting herself to very basic contact with actual human beings. She reminded herself that Seth Rollins was known to be a lying douchebag, but yet something in her head found him intriguing. So, she went with it.

"Girl problems," he held up his phone, tucking it into his sweatshirt pocket. He began walking, and she followed suit. It was almost as though he had her on an invisible leash, guiding her down the empty hallway. What time was it, even? Not that it mattered.

"Must be fun," she responded more coldly than she'd intended, and he shot a look her way.

"Of course it's not. You know how it is, being watched by the whole world. Always having your personal life thrown in front of anyone who will look. Well, Leighla called me in a rage, demanding to know why I was seen out with Zahra again."

"Oh," AJ responded, keeping her eyes low and watching her Chucks beat against the horrifying gray carpeting of the hotel. Where were they going? Again, these things didn't matter.

"I mean, it's not her problem. Because we're not together anymore..." he trailed off, looking annoyed again. "But, in truth, the picture that was reported was taken three months ago. It just got leaked because right now, there's nothing out there about me. You know why? Because I work, sleep, and work out. That's it. I can't handle being watched, or gossiped about. I fucked up, and I know that much. But I kind of just want them to let me be, and stop worrying about what I did."

AJ didn't respond, but she understood exactly what he meant. Tucking her hands in her hoodie, she began mentally counting the steps she was taking. In an odd way, it was kind of nice to be the listener; Rollins obviously had plenty on his mind, too. He had just as many problems as she did.

"So what about you?" he asked after a long, drawn out silence as they finally hit the staircase towards the exit. They had seriously walked around the squared floor, right back where they started. And AJ hadn't said more than a few words. But then again, she knew better than to trust anyone at this point; knowing fully well that she had a target on her back for many reasons. Of course, she wasn't making any friends as of late; but mostly because she'd burned so many bridges just to be with...

"What about me?"

"What's going on in your mind? You haven't said much. You must be angry that finally, the public got hold of Punk leaving you," he said the last part with an edge, and now, it was AJ's turn to give him an eyebrow. It was almost as if he knew that, in fact, she was the one that left. But how would he? Phil was such an asshole to most, so it was assumed that he was the one to break things off with her. She got it, and she accepted it. She opted not to comment on it more times than she could count. Yet, somehow, she wanted to set the record straight with Seth. Make it known that she was nothing like him-she wasn't a cheater, she had been in the very same position as Leighla, in fact; finding the messages on Phil's phone while he was in Milwaukee...

 ** _Can't wait to see you again. I miss you so much. -A_**

 ** _Great seeing you. Next time, (non-alcoholic) drink's on me. -A_**

 ** _I'm sorry things aren't going well for you guys. Hope it's not because of me. -A_**

 ** _I know things didn't work with us back then, but people change. Maybe you have, too. -A_**

All those stupid texts that she'd found when he'd accidentally left his phone in the desk drawer while traveling...they rolled through her mind a mile a minute, and her anxiety was beginning to rise, a choked feeling at the pit of her stomach and rising quickly...

 _ **Phil, we need to talk, ASAP. -A**_

 _ **I don't know what else to do. Will you be in Milwaukee this weekend? I'll meet you there if so. -A**_

"Yeah, well. That's the fun of being a crazy chick," she responded nonchalantly, trying to dismiss all of those stupid text messages. Those were the straw that broke the camel's back-well, one in particular-but she should have seen it all coming. He stopped being the loving, caring guy that she fell for. He'd stopped being romantic altogether, having no libido whatsoever. He'd make excuses for why they couldn't have sex. He'd make excuses for why they couldn't hang out. And once she'd found out about... _her..._

Seth paused, opening the door to the back of the hotel, where they could get a quiet and quick escape from whoever might be watching, awaiting the emergence of any WWE figure.

"AJ, I don't believe for a second that he was the one to leave you. You can't fool me."

"What do you mean?" she got nervous, biting her lip and not knowing what to say.

"I mean...I've worked with the guy. He half-asses everything, including break-ups...just ask Daffney, or Maria. That's why I know that rather than be a man and leave you, he let you find out that he...well, did what he did. And you have a brain. You packed up your shit and left."

AJ didn't respond, fumbling with the strings of her hoodie as means of keeping herself busy. She didn't want to let Rollins into her mindset, and certainly didn't want to tell him what had happened exactly. The only people she'd told the truth to included Stephanie McMahon and Paige, and she had intended to keep it that way. Everyone else could speculate all they wanted, but at the end of the day, she didn't want the world to know the truth. It was a wall she'd quickly built up, to just let her ignorance be her bliss.

"You don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to. But I know exactly what is going on, because I'm a lot smarter than people would expect. I see that article for what it is."

Still no response from AJ. She wanted to, and could feel real, actual words forming on her lips. But still, the nagging voice in the back of her mind reminded her who she was speaking to and why she shouldn't trust him.

 _Because he's just like Phil. No different. Not at all._

* * *

He was having fun pushing AJ's buttons.

While he didn't want to piss her off, it was still entertaining. And, it was kind of nice to know that she had very real problems of her own. The WWE could showcase their talents all day long, but at the end of the day, they were real people going through the same issues that Joe Schmoe was. The only difference was, their fuck-ups were publicized.

He really hoped he'd get her to talk and open up about whatever happened. Again, while he knew by using common context clues the gist of the problem, he wanted to hear that he was right. Not to mention, she'd been a lone wolf since she'd arrived back. And while she hadn't exactly always been Little Miss Sunshine, the way she was right now was a sad, pathetic version of herself. All she needed, he thought, was the right motivation to get her headed in the right direction.

Call it his charity work for the year.

Although, he had to admit, it was also nice to talk to her about all these things going on in his life. He could talk to Kevin or Cesaro all day long, but since they were both in good places in their own lives, they hardly helped. They would just gently remind Seth that his bad attitude was self-inflicted; starting with Zahra Schreiber and the loss of the best person he'd ever met.

"I'm still humiliated to this day," he said quietly as he watched AJ draw her black hoodie closer to her. Had she always been so tiny? They hit the cool air of the outside, no purpose or destination in mind. It was still nice to get out of the hotel, and away from all of those people who constantly judged him. "I try, every day, to apologize to Lay. I loved her, and I really fucked up. I mean, for a little while, she tried to look past Zahra...but how can you? You can't just ignore the fact that someone screwed you over."

"You don't love her anymore?" he heard AJ ask, but she was still staring at her feet.

Seth thought about it. "Of course I do. But, there was a part of me that was searching for an out. Sometimes, we know things aren't right. We know things aren't as happy as we let on. So in my case, I found a reason to leave Iowa behind forever, Leighla included."

"Zahra," AJ replied quietly, stopping under a streetlamp. Seth couldn't help but note the glittering effect it brought over her normally ashen face; she looked...better. He wouldn't quite say that she looked happy, but the light that was shining in her eyes was something that he hadn't seen from her since she'd returned to the WWE ring. She stuffed and un-stuffed her hands from her pockets, clearly uncomfortable.

 _Why was she so unaware of how beautiful she really was?_ Seth wondered to himself, but pushed it away quickly. She was nothing like the Leighla or Zahra, or any of his previous girlfriends, for that matter. She didn't care about materialistic things; she just was comfortable in her own skin, doing her own thing, and not listening or responding to any bullshit. He watched as she finally allowed herself to look into his eyes, an emptiness reflecting back at him.

"That was a mistake. I mean, she was a mistake altogether. But if I could change one thing in the world...I'd change going about things the way I did."

"I bet. Must be hard to have your dick all over the internet," she responded with ease, and Seth was intrigued yet again. She kept doing the hot/cold thing, and it was a weird game of cat and mouse.

"At least, in my defense, nobody said it was tiny. At least not that I can tell," he joked.

AJ paused, a shocked look on her face. She still shone brightly under the streetlamp, and if Seth were to be cliche about it, he'd compare her to an angel in a hoodie and Chucks.

"I was kidding," he said quickly, and she turned away from him.

"You weren't."

"Okay, not really. But I was trying to make light of the situation."

"How can you make light of a situation when someone else got hurt?"

Seth considered her question. "AJ, there were a lot of people who got hurt. A lot of stupid choices, and a lot of crying. A lot of bullshit publicity, and even more fake articles. Do you think Zahra and I actually continued our relationship past the initial reports? No fucking way."

"It doesn't make it okay."

She was beginning to annoy him, just as she normally did. He wanted to tell her off, remind her who exactly he was. Yet she was a shoo-in for a first-ballot hall of fame diva herself, and he couldn't exactly use his status with the company as leverage. He bit his lip, forcing himself not to say any of the things he wanted to.

"I know," he responded. "But if it's any consolation to you and the shit Punk put you through, I'm getting my karma in so many ways."

She watched him once again, and he sensed that she was trying to come up with something that was intended to hurt him.

"Good," she said simply, still looking straight at him. "Because the pain I felt reading the messages that verified any and all doubts I had about my relationship should never, ever be felt by any person. Especially when you're married or engaged to be," she stabbed him quickly, expecting him to cringe.

He didn't.

Seth didn't expect her to see it from his point of view. AJ had pretty much made up her mind, identifying with Leighla in that she'd gotten.. _ahem_ , cheated on.

Seth didn't respond, but instead, gave her a million-dollar smile, to which she rolled her eyes at and began trudging along the cement sidewalk again, towards the hotel.

Before she got too far, he called out her name. She spun around, still within earshot. "If you are always so focused on what you left behind, you'll never be able to see what lies ahead," he told her, and she shook her head, spinning back around and ignoring him some more. That was something that Cesaro had told him fairly recently, and it was a motto he kept reminding himself every day since. It had improved his thought process, at least; and Seth wasn't such an angry asshole lately. He'd hoped, being in a similar pattern of thought, it'd make a great impact on AJ's conscience as well.

He followed her, turning on heel to head back, too.

"Why are you even talking to me? You're fucking Seth Rollins," she demanded to know, her strides as quick as her short legs could make them. Seth, however, kept up with ease.

"I know I am. But you're fucking AJ Lee. And whether you want to admit it or not, we are a lot more alike than anyone would think."

She paused yet again, her eyes holding his. He couldn't pry them away.

"How? I got hurt a lot in my relationship, and I was forced to return to a company that nobody wants me to to be at. I was embarrassed, I was short-changed, and I was robbed of my career because I put it all in the hands of someone who, at the end of the day, screwed me over. What about you? Well, let's consider that, Seth. You're the top heel of a company that nobody really likes, and sure, you screwed over someone you claimed to love- by CHEATING! So in my eyes, you and Phil, you're exactly the same." AJ was beginning to spark back up, and Seth couldn't even respond, even though he wanted to defend himself. He really had nothing to say; pretty much all of her accusations were factual.

"I know what you're saying, AJ. But you and I are in the same boat, just rowing opposite directions," they found their way back to the back entrance of the hotel, and he held the door open for her as she ducked inside. He noted that her legs were dotted with goosebumps, and he'd wished he'd offered her his own sweatshirt as well as the one she wore. "I really want to be friends," he commented once they were inside. "I just...honestly, I don't want to feel so alone anymore."

She narrowed her eyes, and he realized she was considering his offer.

"Nobody likes me much as it is," she stated. "And as fucked up as your logic is, it was really nice talking to you," she smiled simply, and Seth could feel that weird fluttery feeling again.

"Can we go for a walk again sometime?"

AJ pulled her hood down, revealing her dark-brown hair. The bright fluorescent lights of the hotel hallway showed that a small trail of tears had trickeled down her face. A satisfied look mixed with resentment on Seth's new therapist's face, he knew that she didn't fully trust him. He wished, momentarily, that he could make her believe that he was a good guy, and just made a stupid decision.

He also had to remind himself that no matter if they talked once in awhile, or everyday, he couldn't let himself fall again. They were both damaged people, after all, and the last thing he wanted to do was damage both of them even further. She would be off-limits, he'd decided.

 _But god, she was prettier than he ever remembered her to be..._

"Can I see your phone?" she asked him quietly, and he obliged. He wondered if Leighla had shot him a text back, but for a split second, he didn't even care. He gave up his fancy touch-screen phone, letting AJ put her number into the contacts.

"For if you can't sleep. Or, if you want to talk, or walk, or both," she smiled at him. "Don't hesitate. You are ridiculous and I hate the way you handled your relationship, but I just don't want to feel so alone anymore, either," she said so quietly, it was almost a whisper. "Everyone knows the person that Phil made me. Kind of a narcissistic bitch. Didn't want to deal with anyone, except him, all the time. So they aren't willing to give me another chance."

He offered her a hug, hoping he could comfort her. AJ looked like she could break down and cry, and he couldn't blame her; from the sounds of it, she had a lot going on...

She accepted his outstretched arms, nestling herself in his strength. Inhaling, Seth got a whiff of her honey and apple scented shampoo, wishing for just a second that he could fall asleep with her in his arms. It was late, and as much as he yearned for a body contorting next to his as they slept, he knew that AJ just wasn't someone that would willingly hop into his hotel room. Lonely as they both clearly were, Seth knew better, even though he wished differently.

 _That's not how this is going to be,_ he told himself. This was just an arrangement where they'd complain about their problems to each other. No, he couldn't think of her this way...

Suddenly freezing in his embrace, she looked up at him, mere inches away from his lips. All he had to do was...

"I really enjoyed listening to you, despite what it seems," AJ commented, looking down, once again, at her shoes.

Seth smiled. "Talk to me tonight?"

"Until I fall asleep," she promised, breaking away from him. Seth couldn't understand the connection they seemed to have, and fought to invite her back up to his room...

"Goodnight, AJ," Seth walked her to the floor he'd met her on originally, mindblown that the night had happened at all. Was it a dream? It sure felt like it.

In one final hug, she whispered a quick "thank you" into his ear.

It was nice to know that he had been the reason she wasn't sitting in her hotel room, her thoughts burning at her.

Lord knows his own thoughts were eating him alive.


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: I see the massive amount of views, but you know you can still review as a guest, right guys? :) That being said, I appreciate you all for even taking the time to look at this story. It's fun to write about my all-time faves in a love story. :)  
**

 **Additionally, if you love Sasha Banks, go listen to her podcast with Jericho on Youtube. Because she is one classy mo'fo. God, I wish I had that good of a head on my shoulders at her age.**

* * *

What was Seth even thinking?

He couldn't. He wouldn't. He shouldn't. Not with AJ, anyways. She was so very damaged and deranged that he should have never even offered to spend time with the veteran diva. He knew, however, there was something about her that he couldn't just ignore; she was struggling to find her footing again in the WWE. And he as struggling as well to move forward. Surely, this would end badly.

 _But all we are is friends. Just friends._

Yet, here he was, wondering if he should be the first to text her. The little talk that they'd had for the past hour or so was invigorating, and for the first time in a long time he felt that someone in the world understood him. He'd been taking tons of criticism lately for being an "unhappy, not smiling, brute" from fans, especially during signings. But it was so hard to pretend to be happy when inside he was feeling things that he didn't really know how to address. Being with AJ, though, settled those angry claws in the pit of his stomach, easing him and reminding him that he was lucky to be living his dreams. He felt like he was younger again, his reunion with AJ similar to his first time meeting Leighla. At the time, his ex was much different; carefree, loved to experiment with her hair and makeup, and had a passion for odd items. Quickly, all that had changed. She'd started buying expensive, designer handbags that prior to his signing with WWE, she would've never thought twice about. She dropped almost a grand on makeup during one outing. She'd spent a few hundred dollars on one-just one-pair of jeans.

It was disappointing to see the change, and Seth knew that it was a coping mechanism for her. He always had women watching him, oggling him, and literally throwing themselves at him. And no matter how many times he'd told her, she still felt inferior to anyone else. It was damaging, in a way. She'd started to become more and more "fake" and try morphing herself into what she thought he wanted.

And then, there was Zahra...ugh.

Zahra aside, it was nice to talk to AJ tonight. All he had to do was remind himself over and over that this was all that could happen between them. Besides, he had to focus on his career. Being the top heel of the company was an ongoing effort, and he needed to keep at it to prove to the world that he, Seth Rollins, deserved to be at the top of the mountain. Not Kevin Owens, not Dean Ambrose, and certainly not Roman Reigns.

Pulling out his phone, he made a quick slide with his finger, mentally noting that Leighla hadn't bothered to text him back. Not that it mattered; she was bitching him out yet again. She'd told him she moved on, met a nice guy who was making a "real living," which meant he wore a business suit. She mentioned this new guy after she verbally harassed him for a half an hour or so after reading the newest gossip about himself and Zahra, which was all a farce anyways. But she didn't care.

Hovering over his newfound friend's name on his contacts list, he wondered what he should even say. He didn't want to say anything that would make her wonder what he was really interested in.

 _ **Thank you for walking with me tonight.**_

That sounded decent, right?

Waiting for his response, he tossed his clothes on the floor, opting to sleep in just his boxer briefs tonight. He had a single room, Kevin and Antonio choosing to room without him. They said it was because they both had to be at the performance center early in the morning and didn't want to wake him, but Seth knew it was actually because he'd flipped at Kev for barging into his locker room with news of AJ's backstage brawl backstage.

His phone lit up, and he tried to suppress the fact that his heart pounded with excitement. She'd responded immediately.

 _ **You're welcome. I really needed to get out with all of that excitement tonight.**_

He suddenly wished she had never left.

 _ **I know this is random. Do you want to watch a movie? Can't relax.**_

Okay, so much for coming on to her. He regretted pressing 'send.' She probably would be furious, ready to punch him in the gut for suggesting such a thing. But it was true; his mind was anxious now, and he wanted company of a real, actual person. Texting would be nice, but he knew that he'd be up until the wee hours of the morning with her. It'd just be easier to keep talking.

 _ **Paige is literally snoring-LOL, you can make fun of her later. The Matrix is on channel 34. Be there in ten. Also, please get popcorn from the vending machine. Room number?**_

What the...seriously? Seth was thrilled to have her company. No, he was happy to have any company at all. Tossing a pair of basketball shorts on his bed, he pulled the WWE Performance center t-shirt over his bare chest.

* * *

 _What in the holy hell am I thinking?_

AJ couldn't believe she just agreed to hang out longer with her sworn enemy. Her mind was busy as always, though, and being with someone might do her some good. At the same time, Rollins had a reputation. And fuck if he seriously thought he was going to get her to do anything with him other than hang out. People whispered about Seth just as much as they did about her. She'd overheard Natalya in the weight room recently telling Summer Rae and Emma that Seth had gone home with a stripper.

And by the way he sounded, he was so mentally destroyed right now, that it was probably a true story. He was a repulsive pig.

Of course, in the back of her mind, she wondered if his intentions were good. Judging by his character and how many parallels between him and her ex-husband existed, however, she was still led to believe that he only wanted to fuck with her head. She was weak right now, and would it really be surprising if he set out for the weakest link in the divas roster just to fall into bed with whoever was willing?

No, it didn't seem like it'd be an impossible thought.

Ready to text him again and apologize for changing her mind, she felt guilty again. He hadn't exactly wronged her. And while he was definitely not a trustworthy person to have a relationship with, she wasn't interested in that at all. She wasn't interested in sleeping with him. She just needed a confidante at this point; because clearly the only person that gave a shit lately was Paige. And while she appreciated her friendship to the highest, AJ knew that she had to give an effort to try and get along with more than just one person.

Instead of wimping out, she left her black hoodie on, scrubbed whatever makeup she'd had left on from the night off her face, tossed her hair in a bun, and slid her rectangular glasses over her tiny button nose.

She wiggled free of her denim shorts, opting for the free promotional DEAN AMBROSE: AMBROSE ASYLUM sweatpants that the merchandise specialists had been handing out to whoever wanted them backstage a few weeks ago.

She wanted to make it very clear to Seth that she wasn't going to be pushing her boobs in his face, she wasn't going to get tangled up in his bedsheets, and she wasn't there to take out built up sexual frustration. Giving herself a once-over, she smirked at her reflection. She looked like a bum.

Paige gave a quiet snore as AJ crept towards the door, so as to not wake her up. Once in the bright hallway, she whipped out her phone, trying to read the text from Seth.

Quietly knocking on the heavy door, it opened slightly, the champion peering out. He stepped aside to let her in, annoyingly obvious as he checked the hallway to make sure nobody was watching her slip into the room. She didn't know why, but AJ couldn't help but feel a little bit insulted by that. Did he really not want anyone to know he was hanging out with a social leper?

The air was stale with silence for a few moments, knowing that they'd just ended their last conversation with a rush of awkward, teenage-like angst. He studied her for a moment, an amused look crossing his face as he noticed her sweatpants.

"First the Chicago Cubs t-shirt, and now these?" he joked. "AJ, you need to go shopping."

For a split second, she felt dumb for wearing such a dressed-down ensemble. Surely, women didn't show up at Seth's room looking homeless. But she wasn't there for any reason other than to hang out with him, so what did it matter? Okay, maybe it looked like she tried too hard to look like she didn't care. But she was guarding her heart, and didn't want him to get any ideas...

"I got the popcorn, I'll throw it in. These microwaves suck ass. But I'm glad you came back," his words kind of smushed together, and she realized he was just as nervous, worried that she'd take this night in with him the wrong way.

Sitting on the edge of his still perfectly made-up bed, she flipped through the channels to find the movie she'd discovered in the TV guide earlier in the evening. The aroma of fresh, buttery popcorn wafted through the room, and Seth sat beside her as finally found what she was looking for. He offered her a handful from the bag, and she grabbed, her hands getting slick with the butter immediately. But she didn't care: it was one of her guilty pleasures.

"I hate this prison. This zoo. This reality, whatever you want to call it. I can't stand it any longer," Seth quoted, just a few moments before the movie's character, Agent Smith, delivered the exact same line. AJ cocked her eyebrow at him, shoving a small piece of popcorn in her mouth.

"I've seen this a few times," he explained, a shrug of his shoulders. Even though he wasn't trying to be awkward, she couldn't help but notice as he cracked his knuckles, his confidence waning just a little.

"Nerd," she breathed, throwing a kernel at him. He looked surprised that she'd done that...almost like he didn't know how to respond to her silly gesture. All she wanted him to do was lighten up a little.

"Hey-not cool," he responded, jabbing her with a finger in the ribs. She giggled, feeling at ease. She liked this playful side to the champ; it was a nice replacement for the normally brooding, angry person he was known to be.

They spoke minimally through the rest of the movie, his robotic demeanor fading as they spent more time talking about the plot. From there, they began to talk about other great movies, television shows, and even a hint of anime. AJ was known for her love of InuYasha, and Seth swore up and down that the greatest adult cartoon was Metalocalypse, which was respectable.

As the infomercial following their movie started, the two ignored the horrifying actor trying to sell some copper bracelet. Instead, they fell in tune with each other's company; allowing their conversations branch out to simple things. Seth was a big music junkie; he'd played her a few songs from Pandora. AJ showed him a few funny videos she'd found on YouTube, a few vines that still, no matter how many times she re-watched them, made her laugh her ass off.

They joked, they debated, laughed, and smiled. It was as if she'd been reuniting with an old friend after many years, which wasn't possible; she'd hardly talked to Rollins prior to this.

"So, why did you come back?" Seth finally asked, the question that was probably rolling through his mind for the entire night. The pair had avoided almost all conversation regarding the WWE and their pasts, choosing to make a brighter night by ignoring the pain that each of them harbored.

She was shocked that he'd brought it up. After the past few hours, she expected him to keep on with the petty teasing and goofy antics. This felt like he was digging too deep. She'd promised herself after she'd left Punk that she would never let anyone get so close to her again. She'd keep building her castle walls higher and higher, so that if any knight in shining armor decided he'd try to climb over, he'd end up falling flat on his face. And even if Seth had no interest in being anything, the conversation still shifted uncomfortably. Why did he have to ruin such a fun night?

She fell backwards on to his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"You already know why," she responded, ignoring him as he fell next to her. She peeked at him from the corner of her eye, expecting him to be wearing that stupid, smug smile. Instead, he appeared annoyed. Maybe he felt bad for probably ruining a great evening.

"I know why you left Brooks, April. I don't know why you chose to come back," he pointed out, not turning to look her in the eye.

She propped herself up on her elbow, now forcing him to look at her. "I still have things that I'd like to accomplish here. You forget, the divas revolution took off right after I left and, I don't mean to be tooting my own horn, it started _because_ I left. I left too early because I wanted to spend more time in the Windy City, so what? I should be forced forever to live in a hole because things didn't work out for me like I'd planned?" She could feel herself getting defensive.

"So you're trying to recapture the divas title?" he asked simply.

She thought about that. "You know, as much as it'd be great to be toting around that stupid little butterfly and remind the world that I'm still here, and I'm still awesome...I don't mind not having it. I really want to help create divas that shape the company, and make them better than it was when I started. You know, with the pretty Kelly Kelly and Eve's of the company? No, I'd like to be the one to push the bad ass women who are actually there to make it better. The Sasha's, the Bayley's..." AJ trailed off, remembering that she was actually going to have to lose to fucking Eva Marie.

"What's wrong?" Seth noted the sudden distance she held in her gaze.

"I gotta start training with Eva Marie in the next few days. What a slap in the face to the women who really _are_ here to swing the bat at full force."

Seth gave her an appalled look. "What? Eva? You?"

A sigh escaping her lips, she launched into the full explanation, giving him solid details from Stephanie McMahon. "And as much as I'm glad you saved my ass with the McMahon family, I still hate the fact that I'm being forced to job to someone who sucks that much." AJ recounted her memory of stepping into the ring to re-train with Cameron, revealing to Seth how inadequate she'd felt already, her ego deflating with each week that passed.

"As much as I love being in-ring partners with Paige to help destroy the Bellas, it's sad, too. We're mid-card divas, which is fine. Let Charlotte sparkle like she should. Bring on Becky Lynch. Sasha is seriously a boss. Yet, because we're considered veterans now, we're supposed to fall back into the abyss? Not to mention, I will never understand why the push for Eva. No matter who explains it to me, I just don't get it."

Seth listened to her intently, trying to decide what he should say in response.

"You know what it is? A lot of it is Eva Marie's publicity. She's on that godawful TV show. She's going with The Rock to movie premieres, publicizing her thoughts about the current divas division, and helping to design hair extensions. She's doing all of this stuff so that people forget how bad she is with her skills in the ring...like a distraction. And you know, Eric Bischoff has said that controversy creates cash. Give Eva Marie a push that nobody wants to see, and they'll all still pay money just to see her fuck up," he pointed out. "I feel that way often about Roman. Sick of seeing him in the main event picture."

AJ rolled her eyes. "Roman is not that bad," she said quietly. "You only think so because people like him better than they like you."

Seth laughed once, and said she was being ignorant. "It's not that they like him better. Yeah, he's a good guy. Faithful family man and that. But would he really be in the title picture if it weren't for his family connections? When you compare Roman's move set to the Usos, or Roman's mic skills to Rocky, I just don't...I don't see that championship material."

AJ supposed his opinion made sense, even though she didn't fully agree with it. "So, did they really not know that you were going to throw them to the wolves, and join the Authority?"

She watched Seth grit his teeth. "They really did not know. It was part of a contractual obligation that I couldn't tell them when I'd break from the group. WWE creative teased our break-up for months, but everyone expected the Lunatic Fringe to be the one to cut the cord. What the problem was, though, was that fans saw me as the weakest link, someone who had a hard time connecting with the fans. And I know that's true. So I needed the change more than either one of those two did."

"They're still upset about it, then?" she questioned, intrigued at the superstar's background. He was talking to her without a filter, not bothering to give stereotypical answers. His thoughts and feelings were real, and it was nice to not have everything sugar-coated. So many people on the roster tip-toed around the truth, making sure that nobody was offended.

Seth sighed. "They're treating me just as the divas division is treating you. I've got a few decent friends, but at the end of the night, I'm still turning in to a room by myself. Throw that in the mix with the bullshit between me and Leighla, and I've got an entire company _and_ fanship that despises me for my choices."

The answers she was getting from him were meaningful and thoughtful; and she was amazed that he was opening up to her in such a way. Maybe it was because it was so very late that he was beginning to give her a clear perspective into his thought process, much like a drunk would.

"Maybe...maybe Leighla will forgive you, if you worked hard enough at it," AJ offered, realizing instantly how stupid she sounded. Though her own circumstances were a little different, she knew there was no way in the world she'd get back together with Phil after he did the unthinkable. Their relationship was ruined; so was Seth's. For almost the same reason.

"You...are being way too optimistic," Seth murmured. "Ape, she doesn't feel that way about me anymore. I promise you that much."

AJ cringed at the nickname he'd used. It was the same that Punk would use often during podcasts and interviews whenever he'd referred to her...back when things were great. Coming from anyone other than him, the "Ape" nickname just sounded insulting.

"Call me April if you must, but I really do prefer AJ," she said, not bothering to mask the annoyance in her voice.

"I'm sorry," Seth murmured, and she watched as his eyes began to close. She wondered if it was about time to head back to her own room as her eyes, too, began to feel the sleep settle in. She shifted, watching him breathe. He was peaceful as she'd ever seen him, a small smile spread on his face.

She looked at his alarm clock...almost three in the morning. Even though she ha literally nothing to do until she had to meet with the NXT trainers in two days, she got the urge to get back to her room before Paige realized that she was gone. If the dark-haired diva figured out who she was hanging out with, she'd either flip out and demand to know every hairy detail of their conversations or remind her that he was the same heartache that she'd left behind in Chicago. A broken heart waiting to happen...

Not that it would ever get that far.

"Don't go," Seth said as she began to get up from the bed. His eyes fluttered open. She hadn't even realized he was still truly awake.

"Paige will worry if I'm not there in the morning," she plead, but the argument sounded weak. As much as she wanted to go, she felt like her feet were made of lead.

Suddenly, Seth's eyes flew open. "Speaking of, didn't you say you have two days off until you've got to let Eva Marie botch an Irish Whip against you at the Performance Center?"

AJ shrugged, trying hard to ignore the impending sleepiness. "Yeah, so what?"

"So, Paige is scheduled to train straight away in the morning. I remember reading the itinerary. After that, she's got time off. So what are you going to do while Paige is off doing whatever she does? Crashing motorcycles and starting bar fights, you know...the good stuff."

"That was mostly scripted," AJ pointed out, recalling the short conversation she'd had with her friend about that. Paige was annoyed that the script writers for Total Divas would even suggest it, but how could she turn down the money? And AJ still felt great knowing she'd never succumbed to such low levels to gain publicity.

"Whatever," Seth was unfazed. "You going to hang out with Nikki, or what?" he teased, his voice still low. He was clearly overtired but enjoying the moment regardless. AJ felt a quick wind of butterflies flapping in her tummy, but quickly felt repulsed by even thinking that.

"I was thinking I'd just head to another hotel or something," she responded. "I don't know."

"I don't have anything going on for the next few days. If you want, we can hang out," he offered, yawning. "As friends," he quickly added, realizing what he'd offered.

"Oh, Seth...maybe...I don't know..."

"Otherwise, like I said...Nikki is your other option."

"Shut up," she snorted, elbowing him as she settled back into the comfort of his bed. Pulling her hood back up over her ears, he put a hand on her hip.

"I could really use a friend," he said, his eyes closing once again. "And I don't think you're in the position to deny one."

She didn't know whether she should be pissed that he'd said that or not, but as she watched his breaths slow, she knew that he'd fallen asleep, and any arguments now would be null and void. Though she hadn't agreed to spend the next few days with this person who, as much as she despised him, helped her to re-emerge from her shell again. She'd never admit it, but with him, she was a real person again. He seemed to value her opinions and what was really going on deep in her mind.

With him, it was different. And even though all they'd ever be is what they were at this precise moment, it was comforting.

With little effort, she fell asleep, Seth's hand still resting on her hip.

* * *

AJ awoke the next morning, Seth's arm now draped across her, holding her like...well, whatever.

Her phone was buzzing mercilessly in her sweatshirt pocket, an indication that Paige had already woken up. Repulsed, she through Seth's muscular arm from her body, yanking the vibrating object from the awkward position it was nestled in.

 _ **You must be out for a run. I will be catching a flight right after training. Text me, I'll miss you boo!**_

Oblivious to the fact that AJ had actually spent the night with Rollins, she breathed a sigh of relief. She stretched, getting from the bed she was laying in.

"Don't leave," Seth said quietly, aware that she was waking up.

"I have to run back to my room...you know, I can't wear these sweatpants all day," she responded, pulling the hair tie from the mess on top of her head. Her hair fell in tousled waves, the dark color sharp against her skin.

"That's for sure," Seth chuckled, giving a quick stretch. "We've got two days to pretend we're real, normal people. I don't even have a signing to worry about. I meant what I said before, we should just hang out. I could use it. Cesaro and Kevin have their own obligations, anyways...which leaves me alone." Seth's eyes plead with hers, a warmer side to him shining through. She hated to see that his personality wasn't one-dimensional: it made it harder to despise him.

Leaving his room, she wandered through the empty hallways. How did Seth get away with having a few days off, anyways? It wasn't a surprise that she did; after all, at this point, she was considered a has-been. It lead her to believe he'd actually requested time to spend alone, which was interesting, given that he held the championship belt. Lord knows the strenuous schedule hadn't been so forgiving to her, back in the day.

Fumbling deep into the pockets of her sweats, she found the key card she'd shoved in there late last night. Emerging through the door, she smelled Paige's perfume, but her belongings were already gone.

Quickly, she stuffed her own things back into her bags, carrying a pair of black leggings and a flannel shirt to wear from the chaos inside her largest bag. Shuffling her way to the shower, she saw a scribbled note in what looked like Paige's eyeliner.

The black, fierce-looking words written in Paige's girly cursive read the last thing that she wanted to read.

 **Hot water not working! Sorry, babe!**

Knowing fully well what that meant, she was no annoyed to levels higher than Zeus. Slinging her items over her shoulder, she made the walk back down the hall to Seth's room, warily watching to be sure that nobody would see her re-entering a room that was not hers.

"Back so soon?" Seth teased as he swung open the door, allowing her back in. He was now wearing dark colored jeans and a crisp, white t-shirt. For some reason, the simple outfit looked breathtaking on him...which, of course, she never wanted to admit to.

"Shower at my room wasn't working...is it alright if...?" she already started towards the tiny bathroom, not letting him agree to her borrowing his shower.

"Yeah, you'd better get in there. You sure look rough this morning. Well, I mean, not that you looked great last night," he kept teasing her, and she had to remind herself that he was only trying to piss her off.

She shut herself in the bathroom, starting up the hot water as she peeled her sweats off. Stepping in, she felt instant relief; her muscles relaxed, and it was nice to be alone for a moment, stuck in the humidity and her own head. Letting the water beat against her skin, she wondered why she was even allowing Seth to be a part of her life. She wasn't particularly happy with what her life consisted of, but she wasn't upset over it, either. So where did the Architect really fit in to her life?

The door creaked open, and she jumped. "Seth? Seriously?" she ducked lower behind the iced glass, not wanting him to see parts of her that she'd prefer to keep hidden.

"Knock it off, AJ. I brought you your shampoo. And conditioner. And some soapy shit."

"You went through my things?" she shrieked, peeking around the corner of the shower to see Seth starting to brush his teeth, feigning ignorance to her nakedness just a few feet from him.

He didn't respond, and she huffed. "Can't you do that when I'm not in here?"

Spitting white foam from his mouth, he smiled at his reflection. "I enjoy not having gum disease. And also, you are much more lively when you're uncomfortable. Which, by the way, you shouldn't be. You're pretty much one of the coolest people I've ever met."

Not sure what to say in return, she heard the floor creak and the door shut, the emptiness of the room slightly overwhelming.

On the back of the toilet, she grabbed the hygiene products he'd left for her. On the plush, purple cushion of the toilet, he'd laid out clothes for her. AJ didn't know what to make of this...either he was a real creep, or he was trying to be nice.

All she knew is that the next couple days together might be exactly what she needed.


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thanks to my amazing readers, and also, my guest reviews. So did anyone watch Survivor Series? Because I was soooo pissed at pretty much the outcome of every single match. Very disappointed. Also, I refuse to watch any main events that include Sheamus. If you like him, fine, but I don't see how using Sheamus in such a prestigious way is going to help create a future for the WWE. All they are is burying great talents, like Rusev and the Wyatts. It's too bad. But enough rambling. I'm glad we all agree on the pairing now. It's kinda outside the box, but I'm bored of writing OC stories right now.  
**

* * *

"I don't know. I don't see myself falling in love with anyone," AJ was sitting cross-legged on Seth's bed, answering the question he'd asked about whether or not she saw herself getting into a relationship again.

Seth rolled his eyes at her, shoving a slice of their shared cheese pizza into his mouth. So what if it wasn't exactly part of their diet? For the next week or so, they'd both be in they gym and in the ring non-stop; they'd agreed on a cheat-day.

"So...you're just looking for a quick dick?" he poked fun at her, smirking as she cringed at his statement.

AJ almost spat out the last swig left that she had of her sugar-free Red Bull when he winked at her. Seth enjoyed making her squirm; although at this point, he knew there was no chance of anything like that happening between them. They got along too well...and he was Seth Rollins, master manipulator and relationship ruiner. And since he'd taken a dancer from a strip joint to his room a few weeks back, he definitely had the urge to sleep with someone who wasn't on coke. Sure, AJ was attractive, and his brain wondered about her in the sack...but now that he'd spent the past couple days with her, he'd started to see her in an entirely new light.

There was something about her. He respected her too much to even try anything. Besides, knowing his own track record, anything between them would be a certain inevitable heartbreak.

And that was the last thing either of them needed.

He would never admit out loud that the past couple days with her had been a few of the best days he'd had in awhile. AJ brought out a more fun, sunny side to him, something he lost throughout the bullshit he'd drawn himself to. She had even seemed to be much lighter, not mentioning her failed marriage once while they were together. He knew she was still upset, but he figured if she ever wanted to talk to him about what was on her mind, then she probably would. But, at the same time, he hardly was an expert in such a department.

"No, you asshat. I'm a mess, and I know it. I don't trust a single soul further than I could throw them, with the exception of Paige," she set her empty can on the nightstand, running her hand through her dark hair. She wore a plain black t-shirt and yoga pants, her dirty Chuck Taylor shoes tossed against the furthest wall along with a sweatshirt.

Seth put a hand over his heart, a pained expression on his face. "I'm really hurt!" he exclaimed, standing up from the spot on the floor he'd been sitting. He playfully shoved her, and she tipped over easily, her hair tumbling against the puke green quilt. She laughed, and Seth had to calm himself; as beautiful as she looked in that moment, she was off-limits.

"I bet you one day you'll find someone who's worth it," he shuffled towards the bathroom.

"I thought I had. But even so, I think for now, I'm just going to fall back in love with myself. Being cheated on literally shreds every bit of self-worth a person has," AJ jabbed at him, and Seth couldn't help but wince. Yet another reminder of why he didn't deserve a good girl or a good relationship.

"The right person builds you back up, though," he pointed out before shutting the bathroom door behind him.

"He did. The first person I fell in love with, Jay? He cheated on me, too. Fucking around with Dixie Carter behind my back, from TNA. And it took forever to get over it. Then, enter CM Punk, a handsome fella I'm thrown into a storyline with. We have a million things in common, and even though his past is splotchy at best, I was willing to look past it. What a fucking mistake!" AJ continued talking while he took a leak, and Seth kind of understood her reluctance now. How shitty that she couldn't keep a guy looking her way. If he'd found her before they were two damaged people, he'd treat her like a queen...

 _Quit fucking thinking like that._

When he re-emerged, she sat on the bed yet, now in thought. She didn't bring her pretty eyes to his, instead focusing on her thumbnail.

"There is a huge amount of freedom that comes to you when you don't take things personally," he spoke finally. She looked towards him, quirking her eyebrow. She wanted him to keep talking. "Seriously, AJ. I don't think him screwing you over has a thing in the world to do with you. It's all in his own mind. He didn't make you as happy as you deserve to be, so he made the choice to ruin what you had."

AJ bit her lip, trying not to show emotion. "He put me through hell. And I called it love," she said quietly, looking at her thumbnail again. She was clearly uncomfortable, so Seth quickly searched his brain to change the bitter mood.

AJ beat him to the punch, though. "It's sad how someone can go from the reason you wake up in the morning to the reason you cry yourself to sleep at night," she muttered, getting up from the bed. He didn't know how to react; she looked like she was about to cry. Putting his hand on her shoulder, she looked him in the eye.

"You're not any different," she stated coldly, something she kept throwing in his face when she got worked up over her situation. Seth mentally kicked himself for even letting it get this far. After the fun they'd had the previous day, of course he'd say something stupid to offset all of that.

"Right. And are you trying to keep convincing yourself that I can't change? Or are you trying to convince me?" he shot back, sounding angrier than he intended.

Her jaw began to grind, ready to say something in defense.

"AJ, you don't have to remind me badly I fucked up. We all do the things we swore we never would. It is what it is, and it was what it was. Fuck the past. Life is in front of you. In front of us. We should own it."

Something must have connected in his words as she flung herself into his chest, letting a deep sob come right from her heart. He wrapped his arms around her, trying not to notice her ever-present scent of honey and apples. They stood there, embraced, for a long while; he let her cry into his shirt until she couldn't cry anymore.

"I'm glad we're friends," she said as she stepped away from him, wiping her eyes. "I appreciate you. Even though this partnership is fucked up, Seth, and super unlikely, being with you makes me feel like all the pain he put me through is something I can get through."

"AJ, that's because you can. And I'm happy to spend my time with you."

* * *

AJ hated that in just a night's sleep away, she'd have to part ways with Seth. Not that she'd ever admit it out loud, but he turned out to be a really decent friend, offering solid advice and a nice-smelling shirt to cry her eyes out into.

The last couple days together were wonderful, with the exception of a showdown earlier back at the hotel room. Like always, she started to get all girly and sad over Punk, even though she knew the ending result was something she couldn't control. While AJ figured the road to recovery was going to be very hard to walk, she had to get a hold of herself. This was ridiculous.

Even though she wasn't thrilled to begin her process of jobbing to Eva Marie, at least throwing her focus back into work would help her to forget about the pain...not to mention the mental anguish of allowing Seth Rollins to begin crumbling the wall she was furiously building. She wasn't prepared to connect with him in such a great way. Turned out, he was exactly the kind of person she needed right now.

She watched him as he flipped through a book at a local used bookstore downtown. He admitted he knew quite a bit about Greek philosophy, even trying to explain the ideas he'd learned about in the past. When he began comparing those ideas to modern religious beliefs, though, AJ tuned him out. It was kind of cute in a dorky way. She wandered towards the manga section, distancing herself from him as she looked through the collection on the shelves.

The place was deserted; the weather outside rainy and chilly. The shopkeep was a quiet old woman who stocked books wordlessly, the old-fashioned register within eye's distance. Grabbing a book from a series she read regularly but hadn't found yet, she made her way back towards Seth, who now held his stupid phone in his hand instead, thumbing through pictures.

Sneaking up on him, she stood on her tip-toes to get a better view, clear over his shoulder. The Instagram's owner was undeniable; her black hair and neck tattoos fierce, clad in a bikini and posing in a shameless, promiscuous way. Zahra's eyes were intense, a sultry look to whoever the photographer was.

"She is pretty. In a psycho, Nazi, trashy sort of way," AJ said aloud, startling the man.

"AJ! What the-I didn't know you were behind me."

AJ shrugged. "It's no big deal. Guys like to look at boobs. I get it, kind of."

"She'd asked for my opinion...it's a shoot for some magazine. She knew that I...well, nevermind."

"She knew it was hot, and wanted to remind you of the hot woman you're missing out on," AJ guessed, and he didn't have to confirm or deny her statement. She wasn't born yesterday, and knew it was a mind game played by Zahra's type.

"Probably. But y'know, they always say you can have a beautiful face, but if your heart's ugly, the outer beauty means nothing."

"Didn't stop you," AJ bitterly tossed back at him, not thinking twice. "Anyways, are you ready to get out of here? I saw a coffee shop down the road a little, I could use a little pick-me-up."

Seth grabbed the book on philosophy he'd set down while oggling Zahra's goodies, making way to the register. AJ fell in step behind him, trying to ignore the nagging jealous feeling she had in the pit of her stomach. Why was it bothering her that he still checked out his old booty call? They were literally nothing but good friends, but she thought Seth was over that chapter of his life. And seeing that kind of made her think otherwise.

After they'd both purchased their books, they traipsed down the pavement to the coffee shop. AJ was happy to see that they also served bakery items and fresh fruit, opting for a cup of blueberries to compliment her plain jane black coffee.

"Yuck," Seth commented after she ordered. "That's like drinking ass."

AJ snorted, tossing a blueberry at his nose. "You'd know all about what ass tastes like, with your lips super lued to Hunter's and all," she teased. He rolled his eyes, poking her in the ribcage as they settled in a corner booth. That began all sorts of talk about some of the superstars, past and present, who made literal deals with the devil in order to gain momentum in the company.

"Okay, okay. True or false, then. Nikki Bella broke your record because Vince is all over John Cena, and that's her play thing," Seth finally asked the question that everyone wondered about, but nobody was certain of the real answer.

"I'm inclined to say it's true...but I think more or less they were interested in erasing Phil from the company. And me, by default...well, you know," AJ popped one of her few remaining blueberries into her mouth, pretending like she wasn't hurt in the slightest that the place she loved as her home would try to rid of her completely. In truth, it sucked; knowing the real-life beef she had with the Bellas, even way back then. Knowing that she had worked hard as hell to shatter glass ceilings for the divas division. Knowing where she came from.

Seth gave a nod. "I think that once they finally hand the belt off to Roman, they're going to allow him to surpass the longest reigning WWE champion record," he stated, opting not to use the name.

"Why not you?" she asked.

"Because it was always about Roman."

AJ shrugged in response. Though her prior interactions with Roman Reigns were certainly less than spectacular, he had improved greatly. She personally wouldn't put him above Seth's talent, but that wasn't her call. Then again, many people would say the same for her and Kaitlyn. Looking back at Seth as he took a sip from his green tea, she noticed he was still pained about his broken friendship. If anyone could recognize sadness, it was definitely her.

"Have you tried offering Roman or Dean that good old olive branch?" she asked. Seth made a face.

AJ offered him the last of her blueberries, and he took one from the container, shoving it back her way. Shoving it in his mouth, he chewed slowly. "I know it's not going to happen. We're all in different points in our lives now. You know...Dean, still acting like a teenager, dating a few women and pretending he doesn't give a rat's ass about Renee Young even though the whole world already knows better. She doesn't like his antics, though; he still drinks more than he should and spends way too much time flirting with other women to stay faithful to just one. Roman...well, his relationship with his wife was rocky, but they were going through therapy. They didn't want to do damage to their daughter by separating, even though neither of them was happy. Not sure how any of that turned out."

"You know, Seth, it actually sounds like you are all on the same paths right now. More than you'd think," she pointed towards him. "You're all in possible life-altering chapters of your lives. And if you want to know what I think, I'll tell you the truth."

"Okay, shoot."

AJ took a quick breath. "You guys should just hash out whatever bad blood and tension there still is between you. Sure, you've become such good friends with Kevin and Cesaro, but you made it here together, you and your former Shield mates. So I think you should try settling it. At the very least, I bet all of you would be a slight bit happier."

"I'm happy," Seth said with monotone, a dull look in his eyes.

"Lies," AJ smirked. "Watch out, or Professor Umbridge will get her big, bad magical pen out on you. Your hand will be scarred up for life."

"Huh?" Seth was confused, and AJ quickly realized she was way too far in over her head to back out with that joke.

"It's um...Harry Potter. Nevermind," she looked away, trying not to look as embarrassed as she felt. Why did he always make her feel so shy?

 _Because his ex-girlfriends were more interested in the new Burberry bags for the season, not Hogwarts!_

But why did it even matter to her? She never, ever let a person make her feel less than herself. Let alone this guy. Suddenly, she got the overwhelming urge to get the hell out of here, anxiety settling in. She hated feeling like she was inferior.

"You ready? I'm tired. I think I'll just get a room by myself tonight," she stood up urgently, tossing her empty paper cup into a nearby garbage. Seth's surprised look caught her eye as she whipped towards the door, her pace quickening as she hit the outside. Much to her dismay, the rain had picked up.

And, even worse, she couldn't remember which way she was supposed to go to get back to the hotel.

"AJ, what's wrong?" Seth asked as the heavy drops beat on their heads. She shivered, pulling her sweatshirt closer to her body. Being so small had downsides, all right.

"Why would you want to be friends with me? I'm a girl that knows about video games. I read all the Harry Potter books. I bought this manga just a few hours ago!" she held out the plastic bag, being sure to shield the contents from the downpour. "You...you are only interested in the women with the tattoos, and the pretty faces. The women who are rowdy and wild. Who know things about department stores, and the most entertaining thing they read is their monthly subscription to Cosmo."

Seth threw up his hands. "Seriously? First off, AJ, I'm friends with you because you're not like most girls. I respect that and I like that. You're completely different than either Zahra or Leighla, and it's a relief, because if you recall, those two women hate me. I can actually talk to you about things that are interesting to both of us. Do you have any idea how much I've heard about new shades of MAC lipsticks? Or that Jimmy Choo's newest shoes were sold out everywhere? So what if I didn't catch your joke about Harry Potter? You don't know a damn thing about philosophy or Homer's _Iliad_ , but I don't expect you to. And rowdy and wild? Not really. I like a good time, but I like someone that I feel like I can talk to about anything. And that's where you come in," Seth held out his arm, offering her to lace her arm through. "You don't need to run away from me just because I care about your thoughts and feelings. Let's get back to the hotel room and finish the night off, hanging out like we have been. I think I saw Iron Man playing on one of those channels later tonight.

* * *

 ** _OMG, youll nvr guess who i just saw 2gether! -B_**

Nikki Bella rolled her eyes as she read the text from her sister, who decided to leave her sit in her room all by her lonesome and check out the downtown scene. Nikki didn't recognize a single boutique, so it was fair to assume that most the shops were ma and pa places. And that was hardly cool. No, thank you.

 _ **Idk, and idc.**_

Okay, so she was still being salty. They had one photo shoot to do together tonight for Pro Wrestling Insider magazine, then they'd be off on their next journey. Nikki couldn't remember which city they were headed to next, she normally left Brie in charge of that schedule. Or John, whoever she was with.

But John, as usual, had been so distant lately. Even though he was super busy with the Make-A-Wish program and signings and guest appearances, he also agreed to be part of a new fitness television show. That meant their time together was rare, and she hadn't been to their home they shared in awhile. What was the point? To sleep in his big, empty bed? How lonely.

Her phone buzzed again, and even though she hoped it was John, she knew better. He normally only texted her late at night. If she was really lucky, he'd speak to her on the phone for a few minutes before he would turn in for the night.

 _ **W/e, N. AJ and Rollins, chummy as can b at the coffee place downtown. -B**_

 _Hmmm. Now that_ was _something of interest._

After their showdown on Monday night, Nikki and Brie were both slapped with fairly large fines from Stephanie. And even though both the twins were amazed to find out AJ even still had a spot on the roster, they figured she was pulling the sympathy card on the McMahon family, just like she had when she wanted to be the Diva's champion. Poor, nerdy little AJ. Eating leftovers with her ten brothers from two nights ago. Picked on at school for my ratty clothes. _Blah, blah blah._

What was really odd was that she was hanging around Seth Rollins, the pariah of the superstars. After the news broke of CM Punk's new relationship on TMZ, though, maybe AJ was fast to attach herself to anyone who gave a shit. And from what she'd heard, Seth was a straight-up player. He'd probably listen to her cry about all that drama, get her in bed, and drop her on her ass by Sunday.

But if that were true, it was hard picturing him taking a woman to a coffee shop before sleeping with her. If she recalled correctly, she'd heard from Nattie that his fling with the former NXT chick, Zahra, literally stuck in the walls of his hotel room. They had never been on a real date, despite playing off their pairing as a real relationship. She'd also heard that he was sleeping with a porn star on the side.

To each their own, right?

And as much as she truly loathed AJ Lee for all that she was, she still felt like someone should tell her to just watch herself. If AJ hadn't been all over John just a few weeks back, she'd tell John to shoot her a note about Seth's intentions. It was likely Seth was just interested in a new conquest...and AJ was so out of it right now that in Rollins' fucked-up mind, he probably saw her as a long-term project. No doubt he'd hurt her eventually. And probably sooner, rather than later.

So, she did the next best thing. She texted Dolph, and asked him kindly to talk to AJ about Seth. They'd been in a hot storyline a few years ago, and even though Dolph had told Nikki that AJ was awful to work with, he still respected her. AJ had gotten the reputation for being snobby and selfish, using well-developed storylines to propel _herself_ and not offering them to other divas waiting in the wings. That being said, the storyline with Dolph and Big E was a huge success, and maybe she'd listen to what he had to say.

And, if she didn't, and she got burned, well at least Nikki was being a good Samaritan.

* * *

Cuddled underneath that puke green bedding, Seth slid alongside AJ, who was turned to face away from him. After she headed to the NXT performance center tomorrow, Seth wouldn't see her for awhile. She'd be working a little bit on the NXT program, coming back to the main roster next week sometime for a little match on Smackdown, which he wasn't scheduled to appear at. It was bittersweet, and he was thankful that even though they'd be hundreds of miles apart, he still had her number saved for when he got a little lonely.

She wore a pair of black and gray striped shorts in addition to one of Paige's older style of t-shirts, which read Scream For Me on the front. She was curled up in a little ball, her hair hanging down her back in loose waves. Seth's leg brushed against hers, and it was cold as ice.

"You know, if you're so cold, I won't be that offended if you decide to put on your Ambrose Asylum sweatpants," he joked, wrapping himself in the bedsheet next to her.

She didn't respond, so Seth flipped back over, propping himself up on his elbow.

"I can, er...sleep on the floor if you hate this that much?" he guessed, thinking that maybe she was still being weird about their relationship like she had earlier. She was a firecracker, that girl. Easy to set off. He still didn't understand her little panic attack in the rain before, but for a split second, she had let him see her insecurities. She normally stood tall and proud, not fearing opinions and not afraid to voice her own. It was even more attractive, however, when she showed a hint of jealousy. Maybe it was a small stroke to his ego, but it was fascinating.

"You don't have to," she said quietly, turning to face him. He hadn't slept in the same bed as a woman since he'd been with Leighla. And even though he wouldn't let AJ know that, it was oddly comforting having the opposite bed weight next to him. He'd miss it.

She still huddled under the blanket, her knees drawn to her chest. Her face was lit by the muted television screen, the credits of Iron Man rolling.

"Thank you for everything. I mean it," she said sincerely.

"AJ, you don't have to thank me and act like we'll never see each other again," Seth clapped her on the shoulder, and she jumped a little at the sudden force.

"I know we will, but it won't be like this."

"Why not? We're friends. So what?"

"So...if people catch on, they'll talk. And Seth, you're great and all, but the last thing I want is a fucking whackjob blowing up my phone with angry Tweets. I don't want that in addition to the shit I already have to see whenever I log on to any form of social media."

"It's not like we're dating. Or even sleeping together." Seth said matter-of-fact. She averted her eyes, something he noticed she did often whenever he friend-zoned her. He figured she was doing this unintentionally, because both of them knew that they would do their damnedest to avoid catching feelings. For both Seth and AJ, a relationship was not in the cards. Not with other people, and not with each other. They'd talked briefly about it the previous night.

"But the way we are right now is kind of couple-y. People wouldn't understand this kind of friendship. And they'd assume..."

"People don't see the way we are right now, do they?" he draped his arm around her, offering her a toothy smile. "And it's not their business. Don't be afraid of trolls like Zahra, Leighla, or their 'I Hate Seth' fan clubs." What in the world was with this new, scared AJ? This was not like her at all; now avoiding her Twitter account. She must be having much harder of a time avoiding questions about her ex-husband than she was letting on.

Nothing like the world wide web asking you your deepest, most personal questions, right? He knew all about that.

"Seth?" she asked after a long, silent moment. "Can you do me a favor?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I won't sleep with you, AJ," he joked. She swatted him playfully. She buried her head in his chest, breathing in the scent for what could very well be the last time.

"Can we maybe...just be like this for a little while?"

Seth wrapped his arms around her shoulders in a hug, allowing her to get comfortable in his arms. "And you were worried about looking couple-y," he murmured.

"Shut up. I'm freezing, we're alone, and I don't care right now. I just miss feeling...a person."

"A person, or Phil?" he pressed, thinking maybe she'd give some kind of lead into her funky thought process tonight.

"No. I don't miss Phil. I just want to feel again, that's all. And this is a nice start."

Seth stroked her dark hair for a minute, watching her eyes droop further. He watched her breathing slow, and watched it even out. Giving her a chaste kiss on the top of her now sleeping head, he re-positioned his own to his pillow in a more comfortable manner. He held her still, not wanting to trade the feeling of closeness.

 _If things weren't so weird, and if I wasn't the sort of person I was..._ he was asleep before his thought even finished.


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: Gah, shout out again to my amazing reviewers. You guys are my inspiration. :) I meant to update sooner, but alas, I worked literally every day last week. Then I get home, and I just wanna go to bed. :( But, here I am. Things are about to get shaken up a little...so let me know the feels you feel!  
**

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAYJAAAAAAAY!"

Whipping around upon hearing her name called as soon as she opened the heavy doors of the training facility, the familiar bubbly young girl came bounding towards her. Bayley wore galaxy-printed athletic tights and a plain fitted t-shirt, and as usual, she looked cute as hell.

AJ readjusted the strap of her duffel bag, giving her old friend a weird, awkward hug. She loved working with Bayley, in fact, the younger woman reminded AJ so very much of herself when she'd first started. After she'd left the company, she'd given Bayley epic advice..."Never lose your positive vibes." And, of course, she hadn't; she was the current NXT Women's champ, having no problem working alongside people like Eva Marie despite how much more advanced Bayley's in-ring work was.

"I'm so glad you're here," Bayley breathed. "I heard about why. Everyone's pretty much talking about it. Way to knock someone on their ass for breaking kayfabe."

AJ grinned, trying to mask the annoyed feeling she got that the NXT locker room had already been whispering about her. But she worked alongside some of the biggest gossips every day, eager to give up personal information about colleagues to TMZ or other journalists if it meant a little bit of extra cash in their pockets. That, and she was already a hot subject as it was.

She could only imagine the field day the locker room and the rest of the world would have if anyone had found out she was hanging around with scummy Rollins. While it was undeniably wonderful being with him in a very platonic, friend-zoned relationship, others always had to make spectacles of sightings. She could hardly handle her face all over the internet as it was.

That being said, she had ignored all ten of his texts since she'd left him sleeping in the hotel room. She'd gotten up before the alarm she'd set, carefully removing his muscled arm from around her torso and slipping from her spot in the bed. She'd been quiet, opting not to take a shower for fear of waking him. She knew she couldn't do a goodbye with him. AJ felt guilty for choosing not to, but she feared that if she had, she'd hand him a rope to climb over the wall. She needed everyone to keep their distances.

AJ glanced around nervously, surrounded by tons of unfamiliar faces. The women, aside from Bayley, that she'd been in the ring with before had all been pulled on the main show now. She saw Tyler Breeze float into the room, an air of arrogance about him as he pounded fists with a muscled, dark-skinned guy.

"She'll be the last to show, if you're looking for Eva," Bayley said, hushed. AJ suspected the coaches kept their ears open for bad-mouthing the red-haired woman. It was not kept quiet that she was a top priority for the NXT franchise.

"Of course she will," AJ said back through gritted teeth. She headed towards the women's showers and lockers, set in the back of the building. The opposite entrance showed the male stick-figure, and she could hear showers and laughing and hooting echoing from across the hall. Rolling her eyes, she walked through the women's side, passing by the cute little pink haired woman recently acquired by NXT known as Asuka.

She waved in AJ's direction, a sweet smile on her face as she spread IcyHot over her calves.

AJ waved back, slightly intimidated. Asuka was not only amazing in the ring, she was so good at being creepy. Used correctly in storylines, she could really strike gold with the WWE and NXT fans.

Quickly changing into her training gear, AJ pulled her dark hair into a long ponytail, anxious to get back in the ring. Even more anxious to quit thinking about Rollins, wishing she hadn't felt so at home in his arms...

 _Ugh. Puke. He is exactly the same as what I've left...and I have to remember that._

She heard a trainer's warning whistle, signaling the start in five minutes. Rushing back through the locker room, she rounded the corner and hit something, or some _body_ , rather; knocking her flat on her ass.

"Hey, now, no need to rush. It's only a warning," a tall, handsome man offered his hand down to her, a heavy accent dripping from each word. He had dark hair and was chiseled beyond belief; his abs showing through the thin cotton shirt he wore.

She took his hand, embarrassed at herself. He looked at her with interest as she wished she'd kept her hair down as means to hide the flush in her cheeks.

"I can't believe I'm actually meeting you," he spoke as she was on her feet, trying to avoid his eyes. "I was training in Japan when you'd left. It's a shame you did when you did. Even more a shame at what they've got to work with up there," it took her a minute to catch on, but he was referring to the main roster's divas.

He offered her a generous smile, extending his hand again. "Finn," he introduced himself. "I'm happy to be working with you, AJ." She accepted his hand, no need to introduce herself. The pair walked together towards the training ring, where a crowd of people already awaited their instructions for the day. Sara nodded her head towards AJ, and Jason Albert winked at her as she approached alongside the taller man. Because she didn't recognize many of the trainees waiting around, she found herself falling to the floor to take a seat on the floor next to Bayley and a blonde, who quickly introduced herself as Carmella. AJ breathed a sigh of relief that Cameron was nowhere to be seen.

But, then again, neither was Eva.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen. We've got a lot of work to do today, so listen up!" Sara's shrill voice pierced the hot, sticky air. Jason took a place standing in the center of the ring next to the other trainer, clipboard in tow. "We've got a couple of new ideas we wanted to give a whirl. First off, we're going to break off into pairs of four. We've chosen your groups." A loud, cumulative groan bounced off the walls, and Jason waved away the whining. "We spent a lot of time divvying you guys up properly. This isn't a school science project, and you can't team up with your friends. We've set up six different workshops, each an hour long. Lunch is at noon, you have half an hour to eat and chat to your friends then."

A guy AJ recognized as Mojo Rawley called out to the trainer. "How'd you break off folks into teams?" he asked, concern spreading across his face.

Jason shrugged. "We put together individuals that we felt could really learn from one another. Where some people lack, we put them in a group with someone who is excelling in an area."

"Your teams are here, and also your workshop schedules will be printed on this clipboard. You've got five minutes to get together with your team," Sara piped up, pointing to the nicely typed itinerary. AJ already suspected she was put in the same group as Eva.

Just as she'd thought that, the metal doors clanged open, and the bright red hair was a sure sign that the diva finally decided to roll in. She had her sunglasses perched on the top of her head, cell phone clenched in her hand, and a bright red, sequinned tote bag slung over her shoulder. As much as AJ hated to admit it, Eva was gorgeous.

That didn't stop everyone else who was there from rolling their eyes, quietly murmuring to each other about her tardiness.

"Glad you decided to come to class, Eva," Sara said bitterly. "I'm not going through this again, so hopefully someone else can explain it to you."

"I'm sorry, I was in the middle of a conference call," Eva sheepishly apologized, rolling her eyes when nobody responded to her reasoning. Carmella patted a spot on the floor near AJ, who shot a look towards the blonde woman. Daggers shot straight out of her eyes, but Carmella didn't notice as Eva Marie tumbled down next to her.

 _Conference call or not, how disrespectful to put these people on hold just for yourself!_

Jason gave a quick run-down of the different modules. There was strength training, character development, effective promo training, in-ring work, costume critique, and a team five-mile run. The more they talked, the more AJ hated her life and was prepared to beg Stephanie to give her a massive fine instead of this. But, she thought, maybe she could take something away from this that she so very much needed. While she thought she'd pretty much mastered each of the training modules years ago, she supposed a refresher might not be so bad. Maybe it would even give her some ideas to pitch to some of the creative writers down the road.

When they were dismissed, everyone crowded around that little clipboard to find out who they were stuck hanging out with for the day. As predicted, AJ was with Eva Marie, Finn Balor, and Apollo Crews. The giant man she'd seen earlier in the day pounding fists with Breeze was apparently Crews; the other two, she already knew. First up, the four had to do the fucking run.

 _Cool._

Making their way to the track outside, AJ tuned out Eva's whining. The boys were looking forward to getting this grueling task out of the way, talking excitedly about lunch already.

Looking up towards a small stand of bleacher seats, the WWE legend Sargent Slaughter stood at ease, very much in character. He wore a green army shirt, dark pants, a hat, and his aviator shades. Though his hair was mostly white, he was still intimidating as he'd been years ago.

"Ten, hut!" he called out, and the four of them stood in a line facing him.

"You four, you have quite a journey ahead of you," he said in classic Sarge voice. "This is not an ordinary run. You four will find a comfortable pace, and you will run together. You have to stop to breathe? You breathe together. No soldier will be left behind!"

"What if one of us isn't able to keep a comfortable pace, and we aren't able to finish within an hour?" Crews asked, and AJ knew he was referring to Eva. Sarge, however, looked as if the large man had grown an extra eye out of nowhere, surprised that he'd even ask such an appalling question.

"There is no room for failure, soldier!"

A few stretches later, the group started the run at a slow pace. AJ had to give slight credit to the redhead: even though her facial expressions proved she hated the task, she kept her mouth shut, no longer complaining that she was there, and not with her husband or training with Kendrick.

At least so far, she didn't feel the overwhelming urge to punch the other woman just as she had done to Nikki.

* * *

Seth had woken up to bare sheets on the other side of his hotel bed, noticing immediately that the familiar counteracting weight was no longer on the opposite side.

He had figured right away where she was, and it was exactly as he'd feared: she left, not offering so much as a goodbye. He supposed it was easier that way; he felt the same. Seth wasn't good at handling goodbyes, and especially the strange connection he'd felt as of late towards AJ made him sort of nervous. AJ had chosen to keep much of her thoughts to herself, including the weird status of their so-called "friendship." She didn't feel badly for leaving so abruptly. It was probably much easier for her to run away than to admit that she'd miss his company.

Not that that meant anything. They hadn't even had sexual tension while sleeping in the same bed, the thought of taking advantage of her delicate state not even crossing his mind during the past couple nights. Seth had come to realize that he definitely didn't deserve someone like her, given some of the sins he'd sinned. That, and he knew that she had been crushed by a cheating, lying, backstabbing douchebag...which she often quipped he was "exactly like him." No, she deserved the best, and as much as it pained him, it wasn't...couldn't...be him. He'd rather settle for friendship with her, as much as it sucked...

Though he still had to fight the urge to not think of her in such a way, Seth had repeatedly been telling himself that she was just another girl. He'd been in contact with thousands in his time, and AJ was just another blip on the radar. Nothing special.

Still, he couldn't help but be annoyed that she'd run out on him like that, not even offering a "thanks, I had fun" or a quickly written note. Nothing. Like the past couple days hadn't even happened at all. No matter; he knew that given the opportunity, Zahra would have interest in a quick rendezvous. Even though they could simply not work as a couple, she could at least fill the gaping hole he had in his heart for awhile. Suddenly angry at himself for quietly hoping that there could be any sort of potential between himself and AJ, he slid the screen to unlock his phone, opened his contacts, shooting Zahra a quick text.

Feeling guilty immediately, he decided to text AJ, hoping that they were still on speaking terms. He didn't think they weren't, but who knew? Girls were crazy.

She didn't respond.

Neither did Zahra.

Frustrated, Seth threw his phone across the bed, sliding from under the covers and muttering as he started up the hottest water he could handle in his shower.

* * *

Colt Cabana stood in the hallway, shaking his head disapprovingly at the stacked boxes.

"Man, this sure doesn't feel right," he muttered, Phil handing him the final box that he'd packed up full of AJ's things she'd left behind. Colt had done nothing but mention his annoyance regarding this situation since he'd heard about it, but Phil couldn't blame him. He'd found out that they'd split thanks to a TMZ article, later confirmed by PWI.

"AJ chose this," he said simply, refusing to feel badly for anyone involved, himself included. He hadn't been able to get hold of his ex-wife whatsoever, so until _someone_ did, Colt had offered to put the boxes of her crap in the spare bedroom of his own home. Though Phil knew his old friend was supportive of each of them, he knew deep down that Colt had taken AJ's side of this spectacle.

He supposed that AJ had already gotten to chirping in his ear, but Colt said she hadn't. He claimed that he had been able to piece together the puzzle once she made her re-debut on Monday Night RAW, his suspicions confirmed when photos showed Phil playing grab-ass with his new girlfriend. Though he didn't know the whole story, it was clear that AJ had found out much earlier than anyone else, deciding to just leave without confronting Phil at all. AJ had disappeared the night after she must've found out. As much as Phil liked to wish she only knew that he had a bad attitude and she couldn't handle it anymore, he knew that she _knew_. She knew everything, including what the media didn't know yet.

"Love you like a bro, but that's bullshit and you know that. AJ was driven to run away, by you," Colt clicked his tongue, picking up one of the larger boxes of her collectible things.

Phil shrugged. "Dude, we just...weren't good anymore." That was true.

Colt grumbled, nearly knocking over the auburn-haired woman as she appeared next to him.

"I absolutely cannot wait to get the rest of this junk out of the way. I've got a few ideas for the paint," she tittered, and Colt rolled his eyes. She didn't notice. "Did I tell you how much I appreciate you? It's so hard to work around all this crap," she sputtered on, oblivious to the pissed glare he shot at her. She was too busy trying to create color schemes in her head to notice what was going on in the real world.

"Trust me, I'm not doing this for you," Colt responded. She ignored him, blathering on about possible themes to even acknowledge that he was still standing there, a box full of action figures in his arms. He hadn't done well at pretending to like Punk's new girl, either, even questioning her homewrecking status that the online world thrust upon her. Special thanks to those shithead journalists who didn't know when to call it quits...

..."That's why I can't wait to make this place look like a real house. Right now, it looks like a gamer's paradise. Ugh!" she was still going on, and Phil watched as Colt flashed another angry glance at his new girlfriend. She'd padded back downstairs, talking about making an appointment with the interior decorator.

"Because it _was_ a gamer's paradise," Colt said quietly, dumbfounded.

Heading out the front door and down the winding driveway, Colt tossed the box into the back of his pick-up truck. Phi had followed him, a goofy grin spreading across his face. He held out his hand, expecting his friend to do some kind of bro-handshake.

Colt didn't oblige, instead sizing him up. "You know what I think about this, so don't try to bullshit me," he said in response to the attempted handshake. "I think you're making a huge mistake."

Phil grunted, looking down at his feet. "Great. But like I said, I wasn't happy anymore. So I figured out what it was that made me happy, and ran with it."

Now, Colt's face was red with rage, and he took a step towards his old friend. Inches apart, his eyes danced with the devil, ready to attack. "Yeah, because cheating on my beautiful wife would make _me_ so fucking happy!" he growled, shaking his fist just a mere inch from Punk's nose. "Did you ever stop to think how that would make her feel? Did you think, just for a second, how awful it must feel to be thrown aside, and finding out your gut instinct was right all along? From someone you had told her all along to not worry about? I told myself right off the bat I wasn't going to take sides, but you're making it hard not to!"

The two were now nose to nose, waiting for the other to strike. Neither did, and yet neither moved.

"Phil? Did you remember to get Nutella from the store? I can't find it," his girlfriend called out the kitchen window, unable to see the buildup from her perch.

Still staring each other down, Colt's shoulders faltered first. Phil was at ease, dropping his fists that he didn't even realize he was holding up.

"I'd better go," Colt said grimly, his mouth pressed into a thin line.

"I think you should. Before she realizes I forgot the Nutella," Punk responded. Colt waved him off, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I've never wished bad upon you, brother, but I hope you get burned. And I hope AJ figures out what makes _her_ truly happy. It's no wonder why it wasn't you." Colt quickly drew his truck keys from his jeans pocket, fuming to a point where if he didn't leave right away, he would actually test Punk's UFC skills. Slamming the driver's door shut, he barreled out of the driveway, the gravel spinning under his tires. Punk stood in the driveway, watching as he left. Watching as the little bits and pieces of AJ left his home, for good.

He had no regrets.

* * *

"Sometimes, sure it bothers me that people don't think I deserve to be here. And I guess I can't blame them for thinking so...but now, I'm working really hard to be someone in this company. I'm sick of hearing that I'm not cut out for this and that I'll never be good enough. My mindset, right now, is to prove them all wrong. Someday soon, I hope to have just as earth shattering of a match with Bayley for the title as Sasha had," Eva panted alongside AJ, finishing up on the final mile of their run. AJ still didn't have the urge to beat the holy hell out of the Total Divas star, and she was pleasantly surprised. Paige absolutely despised the woman, so by default, AJ expected to, too.

But she didn't really seem all that bad.

"I mean...I know how badly they would like me to succeed. I'm not stupid, I know why you're here..." she breathed, holding on to her sides. She slowed a little bit, and the other three group members did, too. AJ didn't know about Finn or Crews as they had barely spoken since the beginning, but personally, she was all for slowing their pace for a minute. Her legs felt like Jell-O, and she was sure that during the strength training, she was going to die.

"I'm here mostly because I decided to whack a Bella," she said quietly. "It's better than being jobless."

Eva giggled once. "I don't have an issue with Nikki...Brie is the anklebiter of the pair. Napoleon complex, I think," she smirked, making a gesture towards her boobs.

AJ was stunned at the reference. She didn't even know Eva Marie had a sense of humor to her, let alone a real brain underneath all that hair. The way she portrayed herself was beyond stupid; AJ didn't get that vibe at all. She figured that might be why Paige actually hated her: She played up to the cameras, acting stupid to gain viewership. Still, so far AJ hadn't found a reason to dislike her; she seemed genuine in what she wanted to do with her career, despite what the majority of the universe thought. She laughed at the comment, the four picking up the pace a little bit. Crews said something to Finn, and they picked up the pace even more.

"Fuck you guys," Eva Marie called, keeping up right behind them. "I haven't had someone treat me like a real human being since I met Carmella. So excuse me for trying to talk through this shitty run!"

She must have picked up on something that AJ hadn't. Eva's brows furrowed as she ran directly behind the men, making faces with each stride.

"You know, I actually am kind of glad to be here," AJ heard herself say. "With all the shit going on in my life, in addition to the drama of the main roster...the next few days might not be so bad."

"It's not exactly a break," Eva pointed out, holding on to her side again. "Sara is crazy and pushes all of us to the literal breaking point. In addition to her, I guess we've got a lot of extra people hanging around the training center for the next few days."

"People like who?"

"Well, Sergeant Slaughter, for one. But I've heard rumors of other legends leading these stupid-ass modules."

AJ's mind went awry, thinking of all the possibilities. She knew that six training courses between just the NXT trainers was near impossible, so it was actually very likely that there would be other appearances by legends and superstars alike.

Rounding the final lap of the track, AJ couldn't deny that she was ready to call it a day. Keeping in step with Eva, she reached across and squeezed the taller woman's shoulder, giving her a look of encouragement. While she'd started the day with a sour attitude, she started looking at things with a brighter sheen. This was not going to go as badly as she had expected.

"Ready? LET'S GOOOOO!" called Finn over his shoulder, making a fast break for the finish line. The WWE Legend stood there, holding his stopwatch. The four of them sprinted the last round, Eva deciding to race to join the two men just a few steps ahead. Not one to be shown up, AJ took a spot next to Finn. She slipped her hand in his, her other hand in Eva's. Eva got the memo and grasped Apollo's. The four of them all broke through the finish line, together.

"Now that's what I call a TEAM!" Sergeant Slaughter cheered, his hands in the air. "That's what I like to see!"

All four of them collapsed right away, catching their breath. Catching a few water bottles thrown their way, Finn distributed them, taking a heavy gulp from his own. AJ dumped part of hers on her hairline, relishing in the icy cold feeling.

"We could've gotten through a lot faster if we didn't have two Chatty Cathys on the team," Crews grumbled, but Finn elbowed him. "I don't think that's the point, man." he said in a hushed voice, glancing towards the WWE veteran to ensure he hadn't heard the rookie's whining. Luckily, it appeared that he hadn't. AJ thought about saying something, but decided that she shouldn't. Otherwise, it'd be a long day.

Finn winked at her, taking another quick drink from his bottle.

* * *

"Oh, Sethie, I'm so glad you decided to come around," Zahra cooed, opening the door to her large condo, allowing the superstar to come in. She wore a tiny black dress made of spandex, her large boobs pushed up to her chin. She had put on her full, made-up face. She kind of reminded Seth of a pornstar.

 _What am I doing here?_ Yeah, he knew he wanted to forget feelings altogether, and Zahra provided him just that. But when he'd pulled off the exit towards her home, he felt guilty all over again. He was supposed to be shooting a promo in just a few hours, and if he didn't time himself perfectly, he'd look like a jackass walking in late to the taping...

He peeked around; she'd re-decorated a little since he'd been there last. It appeared just as a Better Homes and Living magazine article; not one cushion morphed. He found himself hoping she still had the same bed.

"Something like that," he said coldly, offering her a side-hug. She brushed her hands along his muscles, admiring his rock-hard abs the most. Bringing her heavily made-up eyes to his, she kissed him in the corner of his mouth. Seth winced; He hated to be kissed. Especially Zahra, as she left lipstick on his mouth more often than not.

But, it made her happy. It was the least he could do if he was going to bend her over in every imaginable way in her very own bedroom.

"I thought you'd been reformed or something. Got me worried that you had a real girlfriend or something," she smirked. "But, I know that can't be possible. You and I are two peas in a pod, you know. We're not good for anybody. Not good for relationships, or the stuff that goes along with that."

 _Well, at least she'd come around a little. At least she knew that anything more other than a good, old-fashioned pounding was unheard of._

Not wasting time, she unzipped his grey sweatshirt, placing gentle kisses against the black t-shirt underneath. She made her way up to his neck, then his ear. "I fucking want you," she said in a raspy voice. Seth wondered if she still smoked; she sounded like she'd upped herself to four packs a day.

His dick stood, quite attentive, against the harsh zipper. She slipped her hand under his shirt, pulling it off in a swift motion. She offered generous kisses, trailing straight down his stomach. He quickly dug in his back pocket, trying to find the little package he'd tossed in there before getting out of his rental car. Finding what he'd been looking for, he let her lead him to the bedroom he'd seen a couple times over. The curtains were drawn; it was dimly lit and she already had a candle burning on her nightstand.

He quickly tore open the package as she went to work on taking off his jeans. Before she kissed where he wanted her to the most, she brought her dark eyes up to his. He brushed stray black hair from her face as she looked at him, sexy as hell. She wore a tiny black g-string, revealing her less-than-covering lingerie just seconds ago.

She smashed her lips against his, and he allowed her familiar, warm tongue to slide into his mouth easily.

"Mmm..." she moaned against him, rubbing her groin against his. He was aching to get inside, ready to forget all about emotions and love and bullshit that went along with it.

"Hold on, sweetcheeks," he broke away from her. He realized what he'd said as she giggled, now laying on her back against her furry black comforter. She stuffed her hand underneath her panties, a dark look coming across her face. She watched him as he suited himself up for entrance, playing with the nub that she had underneath the lace.

AJ's disapproving eyes flashed in his head.

"Come here, Sethie," she flashed him the tiny little piercing she had on her clit, making Seth's dick stand hard as ever.

He forced the doe-brown eyes out of his mind, bending down to kiss the purple-ish lips that Zahra had spent probably an hour on.

He imagined AJ in her AMBROSE ASYLUM sweatpants, snuggling next to him as they watched The Matrix. She had put in zero effort to make him look at her. And when he looked at Zahra's dark eyes, flashing behind her fake eyelashes, Seth realized she wasn't the person that he wanted to be in bed with. She didn't have half the allure that AJ had. Yeah, she was smoking hot, but her personality was less than beautiful.

He recalled AJ asking him to hold her as she slept, and now he found himself wondering if he'd ever feel that way again. Close.

"What the fuck are you doing to me?" he said out loud, hating that he was thinking of his friend at all. It was the last thing he needed to think about right now...he was about to get laid, damn it.

Zahra's eyes knitted together, and she was clearly annoyed with his outburst. Her shaved, pierced parts didn't even sound like a good place to be right now...

"I'm sorry...I fucked up," he said, whipping off the latex. He pulled on his jeans in a rush, stuffing his feet into his sneakers on the way out. Zahra came after him as he had his hands on the doorknob, still wearing only her g-string. Her tits bounced as she screamed at him, and whatever she said, he couldn't make out. She was fucking psychotic; demanding that he never call her again and please pretend she didn't exist. He ran out her front door, and she stood there, still yelling through the screen, naked.

All Seth could think about was AJ Lee.


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N: WOW! The response from the last chapter was overwhelming. I am so glad that so many people are getting behind this...as ya'll know, I'm all for Punklee IRL, so this is hard, but it makes me happy when I hear from people that this is actually believable. That's what I'm going for!  
**

 **Anyways, your reviews have put the boot in my ass to sit down and type up this chapter. As a genuine thank you for your support, here she goes!**

* * *

Zahra Schreiber couldn't believe that her little plaything just ditched her like that.

Okay, so she'd probably scared him away a month or so ago with her hints at a real relationship. But the more she'd given thought to it, the more she realized that neither Seth or herself were meant to do the monogamy thing. In fact, she liked having the freedom to fly north or south, to whoever and wherever she pleased. No heads-up needed.

Lately, though, her ex-fiance had no interest in stopping over and relieving her of any tension she might have. He didn't even look her way the night before, when they'd both been out at the same nightclub. So, fuck him. She had figured that at the very least, she had Seth to fall back on. Whenever she was lonely and wanted her pants taken off, he had willingly stepped up to the plate. And she'd almost gotten that primal urge out of her system.

But right when she'd turned up her tease factor, Seth zipped his jeans up and left her, anxious and wanting.

 _So what the fuck did that mean?_

She jumped into the shower immediately after chasing him out the door, during which she had screamed every obscenity at him she'd ever secured in her memory. He didn't even look back, jumping into his slick little rental car and heading to whatever sweet thing he had to do. Not only was she slightly humiliated, she was furious. Nobody played her like that. Sure, she had hooked up with straight up players in the past, but she always made it known that she was the coach. And what she says, goes.

Letting the hot water slap against her naked skin, she lathered up her soap, deep in thought.

 _Unless..._

No way was Seth interested in someone else, right? He couldn't have a girlfriend or anything...he'd told her straight out that he had no interest in getting attached right now. His focus was on that stupid gold belt that he treated like a wife. There was hardly room for a side hoe...

In a quick panic, she finished her shower, wrapping a plush, deep purple towel around herself. She grabbed her cell phone from the top of the countertop, skimming through her contacts. She still had friends in high places, and if Seth had anything going on with anyone, she'd be sure to find out. And, most likely, ruin whatever he had going on.

Because if she wasn't allowed to be happy, why should Seth be?

She found the person she was looking for, a NXT diva who had made quite a splash lately. She was such a sweetheart that anyone would jaw-jack, to her, but Zahra figured with the right bribe, she'd report any findings straight away.

"Hey, Carmella, sweetie, it's Zahra," she cooed into the phone when she was sent to voicemail. "I know you're so, so busy training, so it's no big deal if you don't get to me right away. But I'll be in the area soon, and I really want to catch up. It's been lonely, and I miss my golden girl...well, call me when you can," she tapped the 'end' button on her phone, feeling confident that she sold her voice well enough to make it sound like she actually wanted to spend time with the stupid bitch.

Carmella was good friends with Eva, who was almost always in the loop about everything because of her status on that Total Divas show. That meant it was probable that any gossip going around would be sent straight Eva's way. Who couldn't keep her mouth shut about anything to her new friend, Carmella.

And if Zahra played her cards right, she would be able to wiggle her way back into their lives and, hopefully, back into Seth's bed.

* * *

"Hey, AJ, wait up a sec," the accented voice called as she headed towards the exit of the Performance Center. She was ready to get going, having had a long day there. And not that it was bad at all; she found herself intrigued, wishing that when she'd first started her journey, there was more of a focus on the elements of a successful star. She had been in all sorts of classes that day: Goldust opened her eyes quite a bit to costume critique, Mick Foley made himself available for the day to give a run-down on character development, and Chris Jericho watched over them alongside the regular trainers during their in-ring work.

If those guys weren't enough to get star-struck, the leader of effective promo training was none other than WWE's Dean Ambrose. And while AJ had hardly been in contact with the Lunatic Fringe with the exception of his "protection" of CM Punk, she had found his techniques rather intriguing. The NXT team had set up a video much like a classroom would do, going through do's and do not's. Dean had a few links to some YouTube videos following the presentation which he'd narrated so well that everyone in the room was busting out laughing. He had replayed some of his personal favorite promos, then one of his own that he felt "hit it out of the park."

Of course, he'd chosen one that was aimed at the heel turn of Seth Rollins, and AJ had to sit on her hands as to not bite her nails. Even so much as hearing the champion's name made her feel like she was hiding a dirty secret, even though she knew there was nothing going on between them besides a platonic, stupid friendship that kind of just happened, out of nowhere.

Bayley and Carmella turned in unison, shooting each other knowing glances as AJ spun around to talk to Finn. AJ ignored them, waving them forward so that they weren't going to try tuning into whatever he was going to say.

"So, that was an interesting day, huh?"

AJ stopped, mid-stride. "That was what you wanted to say? I'm ready to run out of here and sit in a bath full of ice," she joked. Kind of joked, anyways.

Finn laughed once. "No, of course not. I wanted to see if you were interested in getting a bite to eat. I'm starved. And besides, it's not every day AJ Lee comes through the doors of the NXT. I feel like I haven't given you a proper tour of rookie life."

 _Finn Balor was hardly a rookie_ , AJ thought to herself. _If anything, he was in the wrong place._

"But you forget, Finn, I've lived NXT rookie life," she smirked, surprised at how comfortable he made her feel. It was almost like talking to Seth, minus the random bitching and sexual innuendos. "I've been there, lived on a tiny check from shows. But because of that, I guess I learned a lot about being self-sufficient. And, I can make some mean Ramen noodles," she readjusted the strap to her bag, and the next thing she knew, Finn had it slung over his shoulder with ease, chattering nonsensically with her as they walked out the door together. He was ridiculously handsome, though his height was towering compared to her petite frame. He wanted to take her out? Like on a date? Nah, as friends. She tried not to let it bother her. What harm could a quick dinner do? She wasn't married anymore, and she sure as hell wasn't in a relationship with Seth Rollins.

"I saw this cool diner just outside the city," Finn was telling her, taking down her cell phone number. "I'll give you a text once I'm all cleaned up. I like you too much to walk into a public facility sweating like a swine." Finn popped open the trunk of a vehicle that Bayley stood next to, pretending not to listen in on their conversation by playing Candy Crush on her phone. He lightly tossed AJ's bag next to the two others that were already enclosed, carefully closing the pop-up trunk.

AJ giggled- _giggled?_ -and agreed to keep her phone on standby. She quickly said goodbye before hopping into Bayley and Carmella's ride, suddenly looking forward to her time she'd be spending with the NXT clan. It was really nice breaking away from the drama of the main roster, and from what she'd heard, the shows weren't doing so hot rating-wise. Hopefully soon, that'd all change, and she wanted to help impact the change.

"You lucky wench!" Bayley was grinning from ear to ear as she started up the SUV, Carmella seated next to her. "Finn is like, absolutely gorgeous!"

"For sure, he is," AJ agreed, trying to calm herself. She kept reminding herself it was two co-workers hanging out after a day on the job. Nothing more. But she had to admit, if she was to get into the dating game, Finn appeared to be everything she'd wanted. Serious, focus, and driven; not to mention, it didn't seem that he had any baggage weighing him down. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy who everyone liked and respected, and that was a tell-tale sign that he was a decent person.

And not a cheater.

The ride back to the hotel they'd be staying at seemed to drag, AJ growing anxious every moment they passed an inn and Bayley didn't turn into the drive. Finn hadn't texted her yet, so that was good. Seth had, and she figured maybe she should give him a response...

"Home, sweet home!" Bayley happily announced as she finally pulled into a U-shaped driveway of a lavish-looking hotel. The three women unpacked their things quickly from the trunk, all thoughts of texting Seth back pushed aside. AJ had to figure out what she was even going to wear...not that this was a date. Because it wasn't.

Did she have her red Converse with her? She couldn't remember. Should she maybe wear her boots instead? Those were for serious special occasions...no, Converse would have to do...

"Hell-ooo, Earth to April!" Bayley exclaimed as she grasped her friend's shoulder. Carmella was already halfway to the front door, and AJ hadn't even moved from the trunk area of the vehicle. She apologized quickly, throwing her bag over her shoulder and pretended her mind wasn't a million miles away. Bayley snickered, digging her elbow into AJ's ribcage. "Got your mind on a hot date, or what?" she teased, and AJ elbowed her back.

The pair trailed Carmella, who was already checking in to the conjoined room that the three planned on sharing. They'd talked it over at lunch time very briefly while Bayley made the arrangements on her phone. As NXT women's champion, she had a few appearances the next day. Both Carmella and AJ had to be back in the training facility at 9 AM. In short, it made sense for them to just stay together. Plus, having some fun with a few of her colleagues might actually be interesting. AJ had kept reminding herself to have an open mind, and this was a good start.

"It's not a date, Bay," she stated, thanking the woman at the service counter as she handed her a card key. "We just had a super intense day in the same training group. I feel like I've known him forever, now that I've spent all day with him. It'll be nice to talk to a like-minded person."

Bayley feigned a hurt expression. "What am I? Chopped liver?"

"I'll be home at a reasonable time. We've got a lot to catch up on, you know."

Bayley's smile waned a little bit. "Yeah, I guess I do. You crazy kids have fun. You deserve it," she tried to remain upbeat, but she, just as everyone else had been doing, felt she had to treat AJ like glass.

* * *

Seth Rollins had been texting AJ, and right before his match against fuckin' Roman Reigns, she _finally_ decides to respond. He didn't know what it was about this woman, but she was making him absolutely insane. Not the insane that he got from Zahra, and not the insane thing that he got from Leighla. No, she had him wondering about her all the damn time. She hadn't been talking to him all day long. And while he knew that she might be busy with all of her NXT training, he didn't want to lose her completely, and so far, it felt like she was slowly fading away.

 _Knock it off, you loser. It's only been a little over a day!_

But, from spending all of your time with one person to absolutely no time with someone, it's hard not to feel lost and confused. And that, he supposed, he was. Just when he had given up hope for a response, right when Seth's head was finally on straight, AJ had sent him what he'd been quietly hoping for all evening long.

 _ **Good luck tonight. Miss u.**_

It was something so simple, but he couldn't help but feel like he was on top of the world. He quickly texted her back, asking if he could talk to her in later on, after RAW was over for the night. If he couldn't spend time with her, the least he could do is give her a quick call, remind her that he still existed. Though he was aggravated that she'd taken so long to bother speaking to him, the thought of hearing her voice at all made him a little bit giddy.

 _ **Later when? Heading out to hang out w/Finn.**_

Finn? _Finn?_ Seth was glad that he was alone, quickly becoming pissed off that AJ had already replaced him, and it was likely that she'd be hanging all over Finn Balor in just a few hours. And unlike himself, Finn Balor actually seemed like a pretty stellar guy. If he came in and swept a woman off her feet, it was almost certain that nobody else in the world had a chance.

"You look like you just got kicked in the stomach," a familiar voice had joined him, shifting his own gold championship belt to the other shoulder. He sat on the wooden bench next to Seth Rollins, smiling widely as he began to untie his wrestling boots.

"Fuck off, Kevin," Seth sneered, wanting to display how horrible of a mood he was in. How he ever planned on focusing against the giant Samoan heartthrob was beyond him. Sure, Roman Reigns was sloppy in the ring, and for most of the time the Shield was together, the other two members had to carry him through matches. But lately, Reigns had a game-face on. And tonight, Seth needed to wear his, too.

"Love you too, man," Kevin Owens smiled widely, sliding closer to Seth as he tried to read over his shoulder.

"I ought to knock you on your ass," Seth's tone was still angry, and clearly, his friend wasn't getting the hint. He shoved his phone back into his bag, silently hoping that Kevin hadn't seen who he was texting.

"Yeah, but you won't," Kevin kicked off his boots, revealing his taped-up feet. His toes were red and raw, clearly rubbing wrong inside his gear. Seth thought about demanding him to head to the trainer to soothe them, at least then, he'd get out of here.

"So, is it Zahra that's god you down? " Kevin nodded towards the phone Seth had ditched. "She's always a true delight," he mocked, slipping on a pair of Adidas sandals. Seth cringed at the tattooed woman's name, trying to disregard every memory he had of her. Especially after he'd run out of her home like a jack ass, his mind only letting him see AJ. God, that was awful. And weird.

"No, no of course not," Seth shook his head quickly. Too quickly.

There was a tap on the door frame, causing both men to look up. Dolph Ziggler stood in the doorway, wearing his awful black tights and jean jacket. As always, he was dazzling; he could easily pass as a movie star, in Seth's opinion. Still, despite his good looks, he was a grade-A tool. He was still trying to weasel his way back into Nikki Bella's life, despite their departure due to his wandering eye.

Seth figured that Dolph wanted a moment with Kevin. After all, they were scheduled to begin feuding soon over the belt. But when Seth began to rise from his spot to give them privacy to hash out details, Dolph's million-dollar smile faded. He held up a hand, walking into the room that he wasn't asked to enter.

"Actually, champ, I came to see you," he was now face to face with Rollins. "Owens, if you don't mind?" Dolph shot the other man a quick look, a nice way of telling him to leave. Kevin shrugged, but not before shouldering his way through to the door. "Don't forget, Seth, you've got a match in about ten," he called on his way out, not even bothering to apologize for shoving past the men.

"Ziggler. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Seth questioned, knowing he sounded like an asshole.

Dolph smirked. "Don't be like that, Seth. You're not really in a position to lose more friends, now, are you?"

Seth rolled his eyes. "I've got a few good ones, actually, but thanks for your concern."

Dolph smiled more widely. "You do, huh? Like...AJ Lee, perhaps?" Seth froze at the name, trying hard to keep his emotions in check so as not to give away a thought or feeling about her.

"She's cool. We're friends. That's it. So what's it to you?"

Dolph showed the heavyweight champion a forwarded picture message on his cellphone. And unfortunately for Seth, it was very clearly himself and AJ, looking at each other adoringly in a coffee shop from the time they'd spent together.

"Where'd you get that?" he snarled, trying to snatch the phone from Dolph.

Dolph held his hand up higher, quickly dodging the grab. "From a friend, Seth. And so far, we haven't released this to the Twitter world."

"You wouldn't dare," Seth's eyes stared straight into Dolph's, and he was ready to pop him in that chiseled jaw of his.

"Oh, but I would. And I told my friend I'd talk to her about you, but AJ's in such...well, you know. With all that's going on in her personal life, I thought I ought to seek you, first. Listen closely, Rollins. AJ Lee is not my favorite person in the world, but everyone is still worried about her. After the news broke online about..."

"Yeah, yeah, carry on," Seth growled. "I've got a main event to get to. Make it quick."

"You don't deserve to be anything with her, Seth. You don't deserve her friendship, and you don't deserve anything more. We know how you operate, we've seen it! So you are going to do with her just as you do with everyone else. You'll find a way to sleep with her, and after that, you'll dismiss her. Just like you always do. And you and I know it. So does the rest of the world. Forget about her, man. You'll fuck it up. You always do."

 _Who in the fuck would send Dolph Ziggler to talk to AJ?_ The only person that made any ounce of sense was Paige, but Paige had been on a completely different schedule than them. She probably also wouldn't tell AJ not to see Seth anymore. Most likely, this was a diva's work. But AJ didn't exactly have a slew of people looking out for her best interest right now...

Still, Seth hated hearing the words spoken aloud, but he knew they were true. He should just let her go, because she deserved happiness. And his pain in the ass self was surely going to drag her down. Not to mention, the baggage he was carrying around was pretty heavy. She had her own problems, and he knew that.

"So what do you have to do with any of this?" Seth asked, anxious to end the conversation.

Dolph slipped the phone inside his jacket pocket. "Your word. You leave her alone. Go back to banging Zahra, or strippers, or whatever you're into this week. Just let AJ be. She just got out of a pretty shitty relationship, so I'd imagine, the last thing she needs is to be destroyed all over again by the likes of big, bad Seth Rollins."

"And if I don't?" Seth was nose to nose with the bleach-blonde highflyer, and he could smell the minty gum he was chewing. "What are you going to do about it?"

Dolph Ziggler took a step back, a smug smile on his face. "Then I release this picture to every social media outlet known to man. Can you imagine the earth-shattering response? I can. AJ has done everything in her power to avoid publicity. But imagine the heat from either Zahra or Leighla once they catch wind that Seth Rollins is interested in a newly divorced co-worker? That doesn't look too good, for either of you."

Seth gnawed at the inside of his cheek, unsure if a response was required. Unfortunately, Dolph was right.

"Seriously. Those two evil bitches will do everything they can to humiliate AJ Lee. Why in the hell would you subject her to that, if you care about her so much?" Dolph now began to step back out into the hallway, giving the champion on serious look. "The last thing she needs is for a piece of shit like you to make her feel any lower than she probably already does. Just leave her be. Leave her alone."

"Fine!" Seth growled, starting out towards the hallway. He was probably being looked for by the stagehands at this point; his match was scheduled to start any minute now. "But I can't promise you she'll stay away from me!"

Dolph shrugged, turning on his heel. "I'm sure you'll find a way to change that, Rollins. You always do."

* * *

"So, just job to Eva Marie, and you're off the hook? Sounds like a bad deal," Finn Balor sat across the table from AJ, swirling his french fry into ranch dressing before popping it into his mouth. They'd been together for about half an hour now, Finn mostly filling in the silence between them by telling her stories of his success and a little bit of his backstory. He was unreal; and AJ actually felt that he had such a great way of telling his story that rather than rattling off his credentials to her, he made her feel like she was actually there to witness them. He carried himself with such esteem that it would make CM Punk look like a rebellious teenager. The conversation shifted focus to her, and she'd given him a run-down of how she'd ended up at the performance center for a week.

"I know it seems bad. She's really got a lot of people that don't like her, and even more people who believe she is wrongfully on the NXT roster. But you know, after spending the day with Eva today, I don't think she's all that bad," AJ replied, cutting her garlic and parmesan crusted chicken into smaller pieces. "From what I saw today, she's actually got a fire under her ass, and she knows that if she doesn't step it up, someone else will take her place."

Finn laughed loudly, taking a drink from his iced water. "Honestly, AJ? This is the first time in literally months that I haven't heard Eva Marie wine about how hard our drills are, or how stupid she thinks it is that she has to train with the rest of us. I think that it's because you were with her. She was probably intimidated that a former champion was working with her."

AJ shook her head dismissively. "I've worked with Eva in the past, though," she pointed out.

"Maybe so, but now she knows that she's got to work through a real feud with her," he chomped on another fry, and AJ shifted uncomfortably, ready to move on from the red-haired diva. She was in no position to start talking smack about her colleagues, especially because in the past, it had landed her into hot water. And because of the way she'd spoken of the women in the past, she was still trying to find a happy medium with them...

Her phone buzzed in her jeans pocket loudly, and she apologized as she pulled it out, sliding it open to look at the text she'd just received. It was from Seth.

 _ **How's the date going?**_

Her face screwed up in agony as she read it, now wishing she hadn't mentioned that she was going to hang out with Finn. Leave it to Seth to make it into more than what it actually was. She wasn't even sure why she was so pissed that he'd texted her. Was she angry because he was jealous? Or was it because he took time to ruin their night? Or was it because she wasn't having as great a time as she'd anticipated?

"Fucking Rollins," she said under her breath, quickly typing a snarky reply before shoving her phone back into her pocket.

"Drama between you and Seth Rollins?" Finn must've heard her grumble, and she turned red quickly, not realizing she'd said his name aloud.

"No, not really," she replied weakly. "Just asked how things were going."

"You guys aren't...?" he didn't finish his sentence before AJ's eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets.

"No! Oh my god, no! Come on!"

"Good. Because I wouldn't want to have to fight him over you," Finn winked. "After all, everyone knows who would win."


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thanks, everyone! Forever appreciative of your reviews. Keep 'em coming. Because...YOLO.  
**

 **Shout out to Roman Reigns for finally winning the belt. Can't stand Sheamus.**

* * *

Okay, so Seth wouldn't exactly listened to Dolph's warning. But it's not like he was to blame.

Just moments after Dolph had exited, leaving the current champion seething, Kevin Owens pushed his way right back in. Seth had his head buried in his hands, not even noticing that his friend had come back into the room.

"So, that's why you've been so weird lately," the Canadian accent made him jump; and he stood up quickly, startled by the fact that he wasn't as alone as he'd thought.

"How much did you hear?" Seth demanded, grabbing a fistful of Kevin's authentic WWE t-shirt. He was in a frantic panic, not wanting any more rumors to be started than there already would be. And as good a friend as Kevin was, he couldn't keep quiet about anything.

Kevin nonchalantly pushed Seth's hands off from him, a small smile playing on his lips. "Seriously, man, knock it off. Your secret is safe with me. Especially now that I've literally heard everything. AJ Lee? That's bad ass. I'm not even mad. Seriously, anything is a step up from the witch you were seeing before. But it's extremely noble of you to agree to leave her alone just so that she can avoid the publicity," Kevin patted Seth's shoulder in an encouraging manner. "But to be honest, that's not going to get you anywhere, and I don't agree with it."

Seth wasn't sure if he should be angry or not. It wasn't a huge surprise that Owens was right outside of his locker room, perhaps anticipating a showdown between Rollins and the Show-Off. He as probably expecting he'd be breaking up a locker room scuffle, instead hearing the dumb-ass drama bullshit that always seemed to circulate. But what should he do? Play it off like it was nothing? Or admit that somewhere, deep down, he actually may have feelings for the former WWE Divas champion? What was surprising, however, that he'd expected Kevin to agree with Dolph, given Seth's prior relationships.

"Yeah, well, you know. We've all seen AJ's personal life explode in front of our very eyes. The last thing I want is for anyone to speculate that we've got something going on. Especially since we agreed on friend-zoning each other..." Seth could feel his confidence breaking, and he knew he had been caught in a small form of a white lie.

Kevin rolled his eyes, not bothering to hide the fact that he wasn't buying in to Seth's story.

"I won't say a thing, man. I mean it. Because I get it. But don't tip-toe around me. I get it...you like her a lot, and you feel like you don't deserve something good. But did you ever think that maybe that's not up to you to decide? Maybe it's up to her to decide whether or not _you're_ worth investing in. So what if she's been burned? That doesn't mean a damn thing."

Seth stood there, unsure of what to say. So, he said nothing.

Kevin ran his hands through his hair, something he did often when he was uncomfortable in a situation. "You can tell me I'm wrong if you want. But I know I'm not. And I know you've got some feelings there...I mean, I just heard everything. And it makes sense that you had been with her, I texted you six times over the weekend. Admit it, Seth, you've caught feelings!" Kevin was getting sort of childish with his tone, teasing his friend like this was some sort of playground crush.

Seth shot his friend a cold stare. "So what if I feel something for her? She said she was on a date with Balor."

Kevin shook his head. "So _what_? Sounds like you guys had fun, enjoying each others company. At least, that's what Ziggler's implying. So that means you need to fight for her if you've got any interest at all. Maybe all you've got to do is show her a little fight...after all, it's pretty clear that her ex didn't fight to keep her around..."

Before Seth could offer a reply, a technician came tearing into the room. "Hey, Rollins, what are you doing? We've been looking everywhere for you! We've got Kane out there dragging on and on, trying to fill time. Get to the curtains, man, and cut him off! You were scheduled to be in the ring almost five minutes ago!" he was waving his clipboard around, muttering something on his headset. He pointed to the doorway, urging Seth to get a move on. Flipping his belt over his shoulder, he gave one more shitty stare to Kevin as he got into character quickly. It wasn't too hard to play a bad guy when you actually were a pretty bad guy.

After Seth was out of sight, Kevin quickly swiped his buddy's phone, noticing that he still had a blank text open to AJ. Taking matters into his own hands, he smiled a cool, sinister smile as he swiped his fingers over Seth's keypad, asking AJ how her date was going. It seemed like something Seth would say, and it probably would make AJ at least subconsciously aware that he was jealous. After all, one thing Kevin Owens never understood was why people would try so hard to keep the way they felt under lock and key. He had been straightforward with his wife, and it worked out for him spectacularly. So who was to say it wouldn't be the same for Rollins and AJ?

Slipping Seth's phone into the open compartment of his duffel, Kevin walked out like he knew nothing.

* * *

"Let me just walk you to your room," Finn Balor offered after they'd come back from their dinner. They were in the lobby, and not a superstar or diva was in sight. It wasn't even that it was late, and it was almost eerie. The only noise seemed to come from the front clerk, typing on her keyboard quietly.

They shared a small smile as they waited for the elevator, and AJ knew she probably look like he'd caught her off-guard.

"Of course," AJ agreed, surprised that he was such a gentleman. Yes, he had caught her off-guard; she wasn't used to such old-school, chivalrous efforts. It appeared that he was one of the nicest guys she'd ever met in her time, and even though she hadn't felt glorious fireworks with him yet, he was the type of guy she needed. Comfortable. And he was seemingly always positive and upbeat, a tragic change from CM Punk. Seth Rollins, too, for that matter.

The elevator came to an abrupt stop, opening the doors to let them exit on to the fourth floor.

It was nice, too, that he never pried about her relationship ending. He didn't even mention what he'd seen online. He was just...a good guy.

"Well...this is me," she stopped in front of the room she'd be staying in, along with Carmella and Bayley. She grabbed her card that Bayley had given her before she'd run out the door, opting to wear her boots and black skinny jeans rather than a pair of her Chucks. Maybe that made it a real date, and maybe not; but the NXT women had given her their nod of approval before she met Finn in the lobby just a few hours ago.

He gave her his warm smile, stepping closer to her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. He kissed the top of her head, and AJ couldn't help but be slightly annoyed by his gesture... she felt like a little kid. Trying to ignore it, she stepped back, offering a pleasant smile much like her in-ring character would do. She had given this cute look to everyone, peering at Finn from beneath her lashes. The last thing she wanted was to feel like a toddler, so she was going to turn up the flirtatious look just a little bit.

Tilting her chin upwards, his lips twitched just slightly as he lowered his head. "Thank you, AJ," he said quietly, almost a soft whisper. "For even giving me the time of day."

He lowered his lips to her, and AJ felt the weird fluttering in her stomach...until she felt a quick rush of wind hit her, and she turned, startled to see...

"HEY AJ, GUESS WHAT-OH! Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Bayley stood in the doorway, the NXT champion's cheeks flaring with a pink tinge immediately upon realizing what she'd just interrupted. "I can...uh, I'm sorry, Finn!" she shut the door quickly, leaving the two standing across from each other, the moment completely ruined.

Finn put a finger to his lips, as if he was telling someone to be quiet. "Next time, we'll get it right," he said, tucking AJ's dark hair behind her ear. "Goodnight, April."

He walked by her, leaving her confused...but also a giant, yucky mess of girl. She couldn't believe how easy it was for her to begin falling for him...and now, all she wanted to do was go give Bay a Shining Wizard for ruining their first kiss. Who knew? It might've been the greatest thing she'd ever felt. And, judging by the way she felt right now, she believed that maybe her journey moving forward would be much easier than she thought.

* * *

AJ was wide awake, going over every motion of her evening. Like a play-by-play of sorts. She felt like she was possibly back to her "crazy chick" persona, analyzing every single thing Finn had said to her. Considering his mannerisms. Was he flirtatious? Or just being nice? Looking for someone to take to bed? Or just someone to talk to?

Maybe it was because she didn't know him as well as she'd known all the other guys on the main roster. She was watching her footing now, especially having her heart thrown into a blender just a short bit ago. Finn, though, he acted differently than any other guy she'd dated in the past; Phil had shown her zero interest at first, only beginning to speak to her regularly after he'd caught her reading an old comic book called Demonic Toys.

She flipped open her phone, making a mental note to not log into her Twitter account. No, she figured it would be best to let her WWE representative tweet for her for awhile. She was afraid she'd publicly lash out at...well, everyone. She re-read the message she'd received from Seth earlier in the evening, still without proper response. She didn't want to gloat about her evening...but it was nice. Just, nice. To not be bombarded with questions. It was even kind of nice not being around Seth, who both pissed her off to unfathomable extents and made her heaven open as angels sang at the same time. Finn had fallen asleep on her about an hour ago, sending each other short messages as they were just a small distance from each other.

 _ **Dinner was nice. I kind of miss you, though.**_

She panicked as the text began to send, mashing the 'end' button in hopes of cancelling the message. That seemed awfully forward...and knowing Seth, he'd think it was a solid attempt at coming on to him or something. For all she knew, he'd already found his way back to one of those glamorous women he showcased himself around, forgetting that she existed except in form of a good friend. But not that it should matter...they weren't anything to each other.

Yet, guilt gnawed at the pit of her stomach whenever she thought of how close she'd come to kissing Finn Balor.

A tiny notification popped up in the corner of her phone's screen. Message: Delivered 12:38 AM. Her mouth fell open in a silent scream; if she hadn't been in the same room as the sleeping Carmella and restless Bayley, she might've thrown her phone against the wall. Seriously? As fate would have it, the one time she wished her phone didn't send a message, it did.

Maybe Seth would ignore her. That would be fine, and most likely what he'd do anyways. Yep, she was probably the furthest thing from his mind. Out of sight, out of mind.

She tucked her phone under her pillow as she normally did so that her ridiculously early alarm didn't wake up the entire hotel in just five hours. Shifting around to get comfortable on the lumpy mattress and pancake-flat pillows. She was too hot, so she kicked off her sweatpants under her blanket so that she only wore her light blue panties and sports bra as makeshift pajamas.

Her phone pinged quietly under her pillow, and she squeezed her eyes shut wishing that she dreaming. Of fucking course Seth was awake, too. And it would just be her luck that he'd read her overly-attached text. He was probably telling her now to lose his number.

Pulling it from under it's hiding spot, she squinted at the too-bright LCD screen. Yeah, it was from Seth.

 _ **Glad that you** **& Finn had a nice nite. Hope you can talk tomorrow. Goodnight, AJ.**_

 _Seriously? That was it?  
_

She'd just sort of half-ass told him that she was thinking about him more than Finn during their mini-date, and that was all he had to offer? She'd given a pretty decent attempt of laying her cards out on the table for him to see, and he just blatantly ignored her effort, choosing to keep her as an interesting person to talk to.

 _Even though there was chemistry...or, something, anyways..._

Well, at least now she knew how he'd felt. He didn't think of her that way, and there was solid proof now. As if whatever they had going on for that split second never existed at all. He was giving her the go-ahead to continue pursuing the NXT talent. Even worse, AJ was mortified; she couldn't believe she'd put herself out like that, only to be shut down. Seth didn't miss being around her; he was back to the big dogs, and she was going to have to keep floating on.

She decided that she wouldn't call him tomorrow night. Or the night after. Or next week. She was right all along: Seth Rollins was the same sort of scumbag that she'd just divorced. He would never change, and even if they ended up in a relationship or anything romantic, he'd fall in bed with someone who had much more to offer than her barely-there boobs and boyish hips.

Just like Punk had.

She was setting herself up for heartbreak, so she might as well take the easy way out and pretend it never happened.

Focusing on how Finn Balor looked in his dress shirt, she forced herself to fall asleep, blissfully unaware of what was going on a thousand miles away. Blissfully unaware of all the drama that she never wanted to be involved in, anyways.

* * *

 _Did I really ask AJ how her date was going?_ Seth wondered to himself as he re-read his sent messages. She hadn't responded; she was probably exploring Finn Balor's many talents as he stared at the ceiling, counting sheep and re-positioning himself a million times.

He didn't know why it kept bothering him so much that she was out with another guy. Nobody was gonna be good enough for her, anyways. She deserved the best, and as far as he could tell, Finn wasn't the best fit for her. But, then again, neither was he. He couldn't expect her to just sit in her hotel room and be lonely all the time when women were literally throwing themselves his way...but it wouldn't be that bad. At least she wouldn't get hurt that way.

He kept weighing the options here. Dolph had given him a pretty solid warning, yet Kevin had encouraged him to go for it. He wondered if she was back from her little rendezvous, and if she was, why she hadn't responded to the text message he'd apparently sent to her.

 _I really don't remember responding. I was pretty pissed. But maybe that's why I don't remember shooting her something so shitty..._

His phone's screen lit up, and a quirky picture of AJ he'd taken spread across his screen. His stomach tightened just looking at her photo, her messy hair and thick-rimmed glasses still a far-cry from the forced, modelish pictures Leighla had forced him to take of her in the past. AJ was flawed, but rather than cover them and be embarrassed, she chose to embrace her imperfections. It was one of the many things he liked about her; especially because despite it all, she was beautiful.

He clicked on the text box that had appeared, reading her message. His heart beat way too fast, and he knew exactly the feeling. He was falling, deeper and deeper.

 _ **Dinner was nice. I kind of miss you, though.**_

Seth felt like a million dollars; like he was in a musical and a pivotal moment in one of the main actor's life had just created a symphony from the background. He wanted so badly to tell her he'd be there in four hours, that he'd book a red-eye flight straight to her just to be with her for another night.

But he knew better. All he could think of was how badly this would inevitably end, and as much as it pained him...oh, fuck it. She'd offered him a small insight of her own feelings, so he should offer the same courtesy. Nothing sucked more than being left in the dark, and whatever they were right now was questionable. Especially after the weird thing that happened when he'd tried to hop in the sack with Zahra...

Thinking quickly, Seth typed out a response, reading and re-reading it what seemed like a thousand times.

 _ **I want to say I miss you, but it won't change anything so I'll keep pretending that I don't.**_

Seth wasn't sure if that sounded mean or made him sound like a walking vagina. He wasn't ready to admit to AJ how quickly she'd captured his attention; and besides, she seemed to be fine letting Finn distract her from the explosions that surrounded her life. Maybe Dolph Ziggler was right; and the best thing for AJ was to stay out of the public eye for awhile, far away from someone like Seth. She seemed to be content enough; something that Seth knew that in the long run, he could never do for her. He couldn't have a relationship, and he couldn't fall in love. He was so far gone as far as being attached that the only thing he knew for sure was that he'd be alone for good. And AJ...she deserved happiness. She was entitled to those things, and perhaps fuckin' Finn Balor would provide those things in the long run. He'd just have to give AJ that chance...

Pushing 'end' on his phone quickly, Seth figured that it was best not to give her any hope of anything. Perhaps that was why his pseudo-relationship with Zahra had worked so well for so long; neither of them had a real interest in a monogamous relationship. And if he was with AJ, he'd be pledging his allegiance to her and only her.

And she was worth being devoted to. And he couldn't even devote himself to a regular workout schedule, so why would he be able to devote himself to a solid relationship again? Keep her around as a friend. Yes, if he couldn't do relationships, he wanted to at least have her as a friend.

Quickly re-typing a response so that AJ knew that he was still interested in her life but not as a potential suitor, he did the hardest thing he could do. He had to let her go, attempt the very thing Finn Balor might be able to offer her: a future.

* * *

Amy Dumas, better known as Lita, smiled to herself contently as she laid back in bed as she snuggled close next to the love of her life. She'd gotten up to pee in the middle of the night, something she'd been doing much more as of late. For the first time since the end of her relationship with Matt Hardy, she felt as though she had a reason to look forward to the next day.

She deserved to be happy. She'd been wandering through life for the last few years, showing up here and there on WWE productions and spending more time with her bestie, Trish, than her own family. Now, things were brighter than they'd ever been for her. She was finally growing up from the rebellious woman that had displayed her thong for the world to see ten years ago.

She'd received plenty of heat, and she supposed rightfully so. Fans left and right had offered both support and thrown shade, telling her she was a homewrecking bitch. Even if some of the awful comments, tweets, and messages were deserved, Amy refused to feel badly about how things had turned out. If she could change things, she would. But sometimes, things happen outside of anyone's control; and she knew that no matter what anyone said, this was going to be good for her. For them.

Just about two years ago, Lita had given her protege and her dearest friend a thumbs-up; a go-ahead to get married, and quietly left them alone to experience wedded bliss. She didn't expect him to come to her so quickly, if at all. He'd seemed so set on the tiny, dark-haired chihuahua-like woman; more bark than her bite. He told the whole world he was madly in love with the woman who dressed like a teenage boy. She was definitely talented and pretty, but even Amy had to admit she couldn't compare to the women that threw themselves at the superstars on an everyday basis.

Perhaps that's why he'd gone straight to Amy once he'd grown bored.

And the more time he'd spent alone in Milwaukee texting her, the quicker Amy was reminded how in love she was with him way back when. Once the little lap dog wifey was less in the picture, Amy had taken the chance and asked her former beau to hang out for a night. And as guilty as she'd felt for the way things had evolved since the first time they'd gone to dinner, she couldn't help but believe that all of this had happened for a reason.

Folding her body around her man's, she kissed his dark hair as he quietly snoozed on their Vertlo mattress, unaware that she had even risen at all. All images and ideas of his short-term wife had disappeared, like their relationship hadn't existed at all. Amy had done well to erase her, and the home he'd shared with her once upon a time had become the home he shared with the red-haired woman he'd casually dated before.

She smiled to herself once more before letting herself fall into a deep sleep. Finally, she had everything she'd ever wanted. True love, a place to live, and a family. And as fucked up as it was to get there, Amy Dumas didn't care. Little AJ Lee was not her problem, ever again.


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N: Shout out to the ones that reviewed, read, loved, and hated this story. I appreciate you all, and the reviews from the last chapter got my ass going on this one. I haven't forgotten about this story or my lovely readers; just a stroke of bad luck headed my way these past few weeks...smashed into a deer that costed me almost four grand in damage. Thankful for having insurance...That being said, here's another one for you all.  
**

* * *

"Welcome back, girlfriend," Paige offered AJ a side-hug, which was extremely awkward as they both had enormous bags slung over their shoulders.

It had been a week since AJ had been sent to work with the NXT crew, and she honestly could say she didn't miss being on the main roster one bit. The more time she spent with some of the amazing, talented people in the training center, the more she realized how much heart and soul they had. Each one of them was giving every once of energy they had deep within themselves to really make it. And, in turn, how many people that were already pulled to the main roster that weren't quite in the same mindset. But as she knew, it wasn't always about the most talent; it was what was most marketable and most profitable.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in a year," Paige continued to ramble, filling AJ in on some of the gossip and some of the ideas that the divas had come up with to keep the 'divas revolution' relevant. AJ tuned out her friend as they made their way down the cold, weirdly damp hallway of the arena they'd be in. It was the Smackdown taping, and as far as she knew, Seth wasn't scheduled to be there. For a hair, she felt a bit disappointed; she missed the Power Ranger-look-alike pain in the ass quite a bit. But they way he'd responded to her text kept her grounded. She'd stuck to her word, and didn't respond to anything he'd sent after that. She'd watched Bleacher Report's updates of last night's RAW on her iPad while she was flying back from Florida, and she knew that Seth's storyline was weakening. She could see the cracks in the exterior, just as she had when CM Punk's championship reign was crumbling...in fact, AJ decided, it would be in mere months that Seth would drop the title.

She knew that he was a good champion, deep down. But this one, she thought, would be fair to blame on horrible booking and bad script writing. Where did the WWE find the people to write these scripts? She recalled the fun, hokey stories that had entranced her as a teenager; the love triangles that actually made sense, the unbelievable talent and chemistry of every single tag team, and the intriguing weight divisions. Nowadays, you didn't know who was supposed to be a heavyweight and who was meant to be more of a cruiserweight. It was little things like that, she supposed, that made a lot of older fans slowly begin to tune out.

"Hey, AJ," Kevin Owens smiled at the smaller woman as he toted his belt down the cement walkway. He was already dressed in his ring gear, but AJ figured that it wasn't hard to throw on a pair of socks and shorts and call it a day. The guys who didn't have the complex bodysuits like Roman or Seth really had it made.

AJ gave Kevin a half-hearted wave, not sure if recollected ever speaking to him prior to today. She was also rattled to be drawn from her own thoughts, yet somehow glad that she was. Once she began to think too much, she was really on a downward spiral. Paige shot him a complete "WTF?" look, allowing her eyebrows to knit together.

"Hello, to you, too. Now move along," Paige dismissed him with a casual flick of her wrist, to which Kevin responded with a particular finger. AJ was appalled for a half a moment before she realized Paige was smirking, and Kevin was making a sour face.

"Something that I should know about?" AJ questioned, and Paige's expression matched the same sick-looking one the champ had worn just a second ago.

"Yeah, right! We've just known each other forever. Besides, he's involved with someone, I'm involved with someone...you know," Paige seemed almost too quick on her response...

"Forget about him. How was NXT? How was Bay? Did you have to slum with the evil redheaded wench?" she quickly sputtered out a hundred things, trying very hard to get the subject off from the obvious tension between both Paige and Kevin.

Unsure of what to answer first, AJ just rolled through predictable answers quickly. "NXT was fine. A lot of hard work since I had gone through it...um...Bayley is Bayley...and I had to work with Eva, which was surprisingly fine."

Paige wrinkled her nose as they got to the Divas locker room, which was already swarmed with stylists and seamstresses and hairspray and powder. Eden Stiles sat on her cell phone while a sleepy-looking stylist curled large ringlets in her sleek hair, neither of them speaking. Across from her, Charlotte was getting gems appliqued to the side of her face. She sighed a breath of relief when she saw that the Bella twins weren't around.

As if she read her friend's mind, Paige offered her a smile. "You know it's rare they hang around here before the show. They've got better things to do."

AJ shrugged. "I guess. I just don't want to start more crap on my first night back. I know they're not particularly on the board of Team AJ right now, and as much as I'd like to move on from one of my least fine moments with the company, I bet it'll be awhile before they even acknowledge that I exist."

Paige whipped off her hooded sweatshirt, revealing her black tank top. She was digging around her bag for her ring gear, a distant look to her eyes. AJ knew that this little rivalry she seemed to forever have regarding the Bella twins weighed heavily on the young diva. While she and AJ had hit it off immediately, she still had some allegiance towards the identical women, too.

AJ wasn't scheduled to actually wrestle, so she decided against putting on her ring gear. All she was slated to do was make her return, providing another epic promo during a Bella segment. Nikki was set to fight Becky Lynch near the middle of the show, and AJ would have a few things to say. She was at least glad that whoever wrote their storyline had half a brain, because it appeared that the direction so far made a wee bit of sense.

Nervous to see the Bellas again for whatever weird reason, AJ rifled through her own bag, pulling out something that didn't look like she was about to do a drug deal. Black ripped jeans, studded belt, and...hmm...she pulled out a few different shirts, her phone rolling out with shirt she wore yesterday on to the wooden bench she was using for support.

Three missed calls, six text messages, and one voicemail.

 _Nope, nope, and more nope,_ she thought to herself. She knew that it was possible that Bayley was checking in to make sure she'd gotten to the arena alright, but the thought of Seth still trying to reach out to her made her ill. There was also the possibility that Finn wanted to talk again, which was fine; but AJ wasn't sure what to make of him right now, either...

Making a swift decision to check her texts at least, all three of them were from Finn. He wished her good luck on her appearance tonight, he hoped she'd made it back alright, and she should give him a call later on in the evening if she was up for it. She must've made a face, because next thing she knew, Paige was right next to her, propping an elbow up on AJ's shoulder as if she was some kind of a support.

"Why so salty, crumpet?" Paige drawled, trying to look at AJ's phone. She was already dressed for the night's event, but wore minimal makeup and hadn't had one of the stylists put in her blue extensions yet.

"You'd better get ready, dearie," AJ smirked, jerking her phone out of Paige's eyesight. Paige's mouth fell open, catching the name at the top of the screen. She made a grab for the phone, and AJ let her take it, a stunned expression crossing the younger diva's face.

"Is this-did you-are you...?" Paige was at loss for words, and AJ couldn't help but giggle.

"Well, I guess I've got a lot to fill you in on, too," she gently took her phone back, shoving it back into her bag. "It is. I didn't. We're not, but that doesn't mean we can't be," she answered all three questions with a gallant, beaming smile, suddenly realizing that she actually _did_ have feelings for the demon himself. She suddenly felt overwhelmed; wasn't it too soon? After all, it seemed like just yesterday the public had caught wind of her cutting ties with her husband. The last thing she wanted was to seem like a floozy, even though Punk was the one...well, whatever.

Paige squealed, demanding AJ tell her more. Her ruckus caused the now buzzing room of divas turn to look their way, all curious to see what all the commotion was. AJ's face turned red quickly from the unwanted attention, quickly cursing at Paige for being a loudmouth. She promised that after the show they'd talk, ignoring Paige's attempts to get her talking.

"You lucky...you've got to be kidding me! You go, girl!" Paige hooted and hollered, and AJ elbowed her in the ribs to get her to knock it off. Of course, Paige being Paige, wasn't fazed by it at all. The chatter in the room grew, and at least now the other divas seemed more intrigued with their own conversations than the one the two dark divas were having. AJ breathed a sigh of relief. After all, how horrible would that be if locker room talk scared Finn off before it even started? Knowing her luck, that was fairly likely.

The buzz in the room came to an abrupt halt as the door swung open, hitting hard against the wall opposite it. All of the women turned or looked up to see Nikki and Brie storm into the room, each still wearing fancy sunglasses and holding their cups of iced coffees. They didn't make eye contact with anyone, but made beelines to the two swiveling chairs next to each other in front of large, lit vanity tables. They both wore nice, designer outfits, the sort that AJ could bet cost more than her entire wardrobe.

"Oh my god, I have got to get some of that under eye stuff for these dark circles. I look horrible," Brie stated to nobody in particular, putting her slick, black sunglasses in the crook of her purse. She rubbed her temples, clearly making a show of being exhausted. For whatever reason, people liked to watch them; fans and divas alike. Problem was, they knew it. AJ glanced around quickly, suddenly realizing they could be in the middle of a Total Divas clip. She didn't see any cameras around.

"Ew, yeah, you do. Your face looks like it's been knocked around a few too many times. Some super cute, stylish black eyes," Nikki taunted her sister, pulling off her own pair of sunglasses. She slid hers on to the vanity table, alongside the rash amount of brushes, palettes, sprays, and hot tools.

"Shut up, Nicole," Brie scoffed, rolling her eyes at her sister as she picked up a matte lipstick palette from her table, her eyes shifting quickly to the bright reds the twins normally wore on television. "Your _head's_ been knocked around a few too many times," she mocked Nikki's snide voice, her tone matching the snotty one that Nikki exhibited more often than not.

Deciding she'd had enough of the Nikki and Brie show, AJ slowly made her way towards the heavy door. Paige had finally found her chair, trying to choose whether she wanted to do a black and purple eyeshadow, or all black. She wouldn't even notice if AJ had dipped out at this point. It appeared that everyone was busy and in their own little world, and she could slide back in once the chaos was cleared up to get her own makeup put on. Putting the outfit she'd picked for her promo on the very top of her packed items, she quickly shoved her bag into one of the rickety old lockers that lined the wall, making her way towards the exit.

"Hey, AJ, wait for a second. Don't leave so soon," Nikki had whirled around in her chair, a small smile on her face. She had dots of foundation across her face, and the young woman doing her makeup looked perturbed.

 _Shit. She'd seen me in her mirror._

She made her way over to the former champion, cautious with her footsteps as she was now aware that literally every single person in the room was watching the two women. She held her breath, not sure what to expect from her.

"First off, AJ, I'm really glad you made your way back to the mains. And in one piece. Because we all know that Eva can't wrestle her way out of a bag...and we're glad she kept you in one piece. It's too bad that you have to job to her. Personally, I'd rather have taken the fine," Nikki sniffed, disapproving of the whole situation.

AJ shrugged, her tongue feeling like sandpaper. Brie was still turned around, saying nothing, two women curling her limp, dark hair. They were muttering about the cruddy organic product she was using, which made it hard for the curls to hold. Brie was clearly annoyed, then told them to just leave it hang straight if it was going to be that big of a deal.

"Also, I just wanted to say, on behalf of both myself and Brie, we are really sorry for the way we behaved on television. So sorry that we used your problems as a storyline without your approval. It was actually Naomi that had set us straight...she asked us if we'd like her to use the real problems that John and I had, or Brie and the Beard had-ow!" Nikki was rubbing the area of her upper arm that her sister had just pinched-"as a punchline. It sort of made us realize that it wasn't funny, and it was actually really mean. So, we're sorry," she held out her perfectly manicured hand, batting her eyelashes with a sad expression on her face. AJ was certain now that this was a phony apology. She would bet her whole year's salary that this was going to be used as material on the next season of their show. Either that, or Stephanie McMahon had struck the gavel down, demanding that they apologize for their outburst. Or, and it was most probable: A combination of both.

Sighing, AJ decided to take Nikki's hand, giving a curt nod as she gave it a shake. Nikki's hand was surprisingly warm.

"That doesn't mean we'll go easy on you in ring," Brie called over, her eyes closed as she was getting eyelashes glued on.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," AJ said quickly, her anxiety beginning to bubble over. She had to get out of there.

* * *

"That was actually quite sweet of you to do that," Paige smiled at the Bella twins, who gave each other a knowing stare.

"Well, it wasn't all us. She should've apologized, too, for reacting the way she did," Brie fussed with the Bella Butterfly headband she was wearing, the same bright red color she was now wearing on her lips. "But, I guess I get it. I don't know what I would do if I were in that situation. She had a lot of balls coming back here and showing her face, though."

"Yeah, we kind of were told we had to apologize to her. And the more I hear about her downfall, the more I feel kind of sorry for her. To be so far up on a pedestal only to be pushed down? Well, I guess I'm not actually that surprised... it is that grimy, dirty CM Punk guy, anyways," Nikki chimed in, standing up with her full face of makeup on.

"Doesn't make it right," Brie pointed out. "In any case, we don't really want the drama. We've moved on. And, from what we've heard, she's moved on, too," Brie winked at Paige, who pretended to zip her mouth shut. "I don't know a thing," she told the twins. "And I actually don't. I just know that she had a good time training in NXT, and enjoyed some time specifically with one of their top talents."

"NXT?" scoffed Nikki. "Yeah, right! We have a picture of her with-" Brie pinched her sister again, making her sister lightly punch her in the shoulder.

"Picture with who?" Paige demanded, getting excited. Sometimes, because Paige was still so young, she often fell prey to the gossip quickly. She liked to be in the know about everything. Unfortunately, the Bellas knew that about her.

"We think...or, we thought, that AJ was hanging around a former NXT superstar," Nikki said.

"But we've sent her a warning about him...he's not really a nice guy," Brie was now standing next to her sister, fishing her phone out of her front pocket.

"Finn? Finn Balor is a great guy!" Paige was annoyed at them now, and hated that they were talking in circles. They did this all the time; had some weird twin mind games power over everyone else, forgetting that nobody else had a damn clue what was on their minds.

"Wait, what? AJ is seeing Finn Balor?" It was Brie's turn to be confused. "But I saw her with Seth Rollins!"

"Seth! Yeah, right!" Paige shook her head. "Have you seen Seth's ex-girlfriends? They're models for tattoo magazines and stuff. No offense to AJ, because I love her to death, but she is not even kind of Seth's type," she was the last to stand up, making her way towards the exit as the other two women followed. "Besides, we all know that Seth is a straight-up fuckboy. And the hell if we're going to let her get her heart smashed all over again."

"Unless..." Nikki stopped mid-stride. "What if AJ is seeing them both?"

Paige laughed once, shaking her head and pulling on the older woman's wrist. "Let's go, detective. She's got a thing going on with Finn, and I don't know what it is, but it's good for her. He's a very sweet guy. And I've got no idea what she'd be doing running around with the likes of Seth Rollins, but I think it's really safe to assume that she's not messing around with him."

"I don't know..." Brie answered, uncertainty in her eyes. "From what I saw, it looked like they were having a lot of fun."

Paige brushed it off again, reminding them once more that Seth was too similar to the man that she had just fallen out of tune with. "She left Punk to get out of that life. You know, the cheating, angry, shitty attitude thing that he does? Well, Seth is just like that. Maybe she makes him smile once in awhile, but I truly doubt AJ would be interested in getting into a bad situation all over again. Not to mention, doesn't Zahra still comment on like, every single Tweet of Seth's? If that doesn't scream unavailable, well, I don't know what does."

Nikki and Brie agreed, making their way out to the hall. They each agreed that they would be heading to hang out in catering, even though none of them were particularly hungry. Paige led them, casually stopping and saying hello to people here and there while making their way towards the noisy room all the way across the arena.

"I think she took Dolph's warning," whispered Nikki to her sister.

"What?"

"I asked Dolph to tell AJ to back off from Seth," she stated. "It was my one good deed. She must've listened."

"Not that I care or anything, but...why'd you get Dolph involved? She hardly talks to him anymore."

Nikki glared at her. God, sometimes her sister could be a flaring imbecile!

"Who else would talk to her? Everyone's afraid to say the wrong thing to her. Afraid to get punched, or afraid that she'll have a mega-meltdown. And like hell if I was going to ask John to talk to her."

"Whatever. Dragging Dolph into this was stupid," Brie argued, her voice firm.

"Whatever, yourself," Nikki responded, ending the conversation. No matter what Brie said, she thought Dolph made the most sense. There was no way AJ would have listened to Nikki or Brie giving her a warning to watch her step. And Paige would've been a fair option, but was too busy with her own romance...and besides, Paige had a rough streak in her, too. She might've condoned a relationship between the Black Widow and the champion, if she were persuaded just right. And that just could not happen.

Like hell if anyone was going to knock Brie and Daniel or herself and Cena off from the WWE power couple list. At least if she was involved in a rookie or a retired asshole, that was definitely not going to happen. But if she made her way into a relationship with Seth, well, that would be talked about forever!

 _Oh, yeah, and she was going to get burned anyways,_ Nikki reminded herself. That was the initial reason she wanted this little puppy love bullshit between those two to end as quickly as it started.

* * *

Nikki had just won the match against Becky Lynch, and as usual, she was making a big show out of her victory.

Brie stood in the ring alongside her sister, both of them holding "L's" up with their fingers over their foreheads, reminding the Lasskicker that she'd just gotten steamrolled by the Bella twins. Becky was still on the mat, stars in her eyes after being hit with a spinning heel kick by Brie when the referee was busy shouting at Alicia Fox to get off from the ring apron. She had blown him a kiss, feigning deep interest in the young official, which kept him preoccupied long enough for a short switch and a huge win.

"Congratulations, Team Bella," said AJ, her picture now on the titantron. She could hear the fans in the arena go crazy as they realized who was speaking to the three women in the center of the ring, which only made her smile more genuine. Ah, how she had missed working the crowd like this. Even though she couldn't see the women in the ring, she knew that they were pretending to be shocked that she was there.

"I know, I know. You missed me! How could you not? I keep things interesting around here. Anyways, as you guys might know, I've been hanging around with the NXT crowd the last couple weeks, helping out there. Getting my skills brushed up on. And, of course, ensuring that the next crop of divas to come over aren't a thing like you three," she smiled as she heard the crowd gasp and shout at her jab.

"Don't pretend you don't know what I mean. Sure, you have the looks, and can do a couple moves...but the last thing we need is another wave of cheaters. And that's why, Nikki, I'll be challenging you, Brie and an NXT rookie of your choosing to a match next Monday. And I'll be squaring up alongside Becky Lynch and a fantastic NXT rookie of our choosing. Good luck finding one, as you already have a load of haters in Florida. Well, see you later, girls!" AJ waved straight in the camera, allowing herself to look somewhat crazed. As the red light of the camera turned off, she could already hear the "Bayyyyleeeeey" chants ring throughout the arena.

Satisfied with her delivery, she made her way back to the rank locker room, anxious to get hold of Finn. She hoped he'd been watching. Rounding the corner, she found Kevin Owens, who gave her a sly smile as he politely said, "excuse me," letting her get through.

Man, he was acting strange.


	16. Chapter 15

**Lately, the responses I've been getting has been seriously overwhelming. I have been sitting with pen and paper on breaks at work writing and re-writing fun ideas and where I'd like to see things go.  
**

 **That being said, s/o to all my friends reading this. Reviews are everythinnnng. And also, if you _are_ interested in my stories, direct your attention to my profile. I've completed one, one is alright but I don't know where to go with it, and one is old as dirt.**

* * *

"Oh, fuck me," Paige groaned as she checked the peephole of the hotel room door. She opened it gently, trying to hide the small smile she got when she saw Kevin Owens.

"I heard that," he teased. "I'm glad you're here. Is your roommate around?" he glanced quickly around the room and saw a few plastic ziplock bags of Converse shoes, but no little firecracker diva to go along with them. He gave a small sigh of relief upon seeing she was nowhere to be found.

"Why, do you plan on a quick bout with me?" Paige mocked Kevin, knowing full-well that was not his intention whatsoever. But she enjoyed making him uncomfortable, making him feel awkward just standing alone in a room with her. She knew her female potential quite well, and though she would never disrespect Kev's wife, it was all in fun.

"Wha-what!? No! I'm married, P," he stuttered, suddenly aware of how bad it actually looked that he showed up at her empty room. He hadn't exactly thought this through, and perhaps Paige was only jabbing him, but he couldn't always tell when it came to her...

"Way to rub it in my face, heh?" she quipped, still very much joking. She'd worked with Kevin for a long, long time; in fact, he'd met her parents on multiple occasions during wrestling promotions. No stranger to the company, she got along quite well with Kevin; his humor matching her own and interests streamlined. When she was much younger, she somewhat idolized Kevin; even harboring some sort of crush on the guy. Though he returned the feelings, that's where they had ended. Sometimes, she still wondered how things could've turned out, though she knew she was reckless and immature when she'd known him before.

It was fine, anyway. Kevin now had a gorgeous wife and an adorable son who looked up to John Cena with stars in his eyes.

That still didn't exactly explain what he was doing standing in the doorway.

"C'mon, Paige, that was a long time ago when we...you know we couldn't have..." he was turning bright red, his eyes whipping around the room in every direction as though he was thinking twice about showing up here. God, she so loved the power to make her male counterparts squirm; a quality she'd mastered in her teenage years.

Holding up her index finger, she shushed him, rolling her eyes. "You know I'm just messing around. Seriously though, to what do I owe the pleasure this evening?"

"AJ won't be back anytime soon, will she?" he asked again, the color returning to his face, and his voice steady.

"No, she's chatting up Triple H right now. She's working hard on getting Bay to come from NXT to join forces with her to defeat the Bellas and the pile of trash that has red hair," her final words were laced, the dislike she held for Eva Marie very clear.

"If Bay knew what was good for her, she'd hang around," Kevin mumbled. "She'll get buried right now, in the midst of all the divas shuffle. I never understood why they didn't have more managers and that for the women that aren't quite in contention for the title. At least it'd be more interesting that way," his words ran together, and he was talking in circles. Paige quirked her eyebrow at him, knowing he was avoiding the real reason he was here.

"KO, get to the point," she said flatly, crossing her arms. "I've got three episodes of the Vampire Diaries to catch up on, and you're kind of making it difficult to do."

Letting out a breath, he appeared to be choosing his words. "I think...no, I know, that one of my friends is interested in AJ. And I know that she's maybe unavailable emotionally right now..."

"Hold on. I hope to the highest God you're talking about Finn Balor, because I would never allow her to be led on by some two-faced, slimebag like the one you chum around with backstage. I don't think for a second he has a heart at all, and the last thing my dear friend needs is to get her heart and mind all twisted up again. Especially so soon after the fallout between her and Phil," Paige kept her voice low and steady, a sure-sign that she was pissed. "Not only do I not believe he's got legitimate feelings for her, but while AJ was hanging down with the NXT folks, she got cozy with Finn Balor. Not only is he cute, but he's a decent human being. I don't think that way at all about Seth."

Kevin shook his head, defeated. "I guess. You don't know Seth like I do, though. And I think it could be good for him...she actually _lives_. Her life isn't all about shopping and nose powder and Gucci or whatever it is women carry around these days."

"Exactly my point. AJ is so far from Seth's regular bed buddy that it doesn't make any sense. So though I give you credit for being a good, noble friend and coming to me to try and set them up, I'm being a good, noble friend as well. And I don't think that's a good idea at all."

"Fine, I'll drop it. But I won't discourage it, because I think she's pretty cool." Kevin began walking down the hallway, still shaking his head.

Closing her door quickly, Paige flopped back on the bed she was just on, Netflix pulled up on her iPad.

 _That was totally fucking random_ , she thought to herself, going through the list of her favorite shows. But wait...was it? Her mind flashed back quickly to earlier in the show, listening to the Bellas gossip about seeing AJ and Rollins hanging out. Could it be possible that there was more to it?

 _N_ _o way,_ she told herself. _AJ might be vulnerable, but I totally just witnessed how lovesick she is for Finn right now._

But quickly, Paige's mind fleeted to just mere hours ago, during which Nikki and Brie had mentioned seeing AJ getting along quite well with Seth Rollins. At the time, she'd kind of just blown it off, but now, it seemed like maybe it was a lot more than she'd guessed...yet on the other hand, AJ hadn't mentioned any late nights alongside the WWE champion. If anything, then, it was safe to assume she was only friends with the snake.

Oh, sure, she knew AJ was a grown woman and should make her own choices as far as dating. She supported that idea one hundred percent. Yet she wasn't sure if it was the time away from the hollowness that CM Punk had provided her, or her time brushing up on her in-ring skills in NXT, that provided the former divas champion with an outlook brighter than the sun. It was unmistakable; she was slowly coming out of her shell, becoming the crazy chick that everyone knew and loved before her whole world was turned upside down by a salty son of a bitch.

And, Paige figured, like hell if anyone was going to take away AJ's newfound sense of self. Let alone Seth fucking Rollins.

* * *

AJ rubbed her temples, listening to the COO rattling off some ideas to her on the other end of the line. She had been talking to him now for almost half an hour, trying to hammer out the details in regards to her upcoming tag team match. She'd challenged, the Bella twins and, unbeknownst to the WWE Universe, Eva Marie. She was hoping she'd side with Becky Lynch and Bayley, and the fans wanted to see the hugger involved in a WWE show, too. Even Hunter had mentioned that fans had been speculating since her promo that Bayley would be jumping to the main roster to get involved with the new divas revolution.

"Unfortunately, April, I just don't think Bayley is ready for the change," Hunter's tone was apologetic, but AJ couldn't help but to be annoyed. Bayley was far beyond ready to join her friends; in AJ's opinion, Hunter just saw her as dollar signs for the NXT promotions.

"I don't know what we're going to do, then...you know, with Sasha Banks being a heel, Charlotte being a heel...I don't know what to work with," she bit her lip, trying to rack her brain for an idea. _Any_ idea.

"Well, it looks like Bayley won't be able to go anyways. The show is going to be in Georgia, and she'll be nearly three hundred miles away for a separate promotion. I can check to see what the roster rotation looks like...I don't think I've got Alexa Bliss scheduled that week..." Hunter sounded light years away, and AJ imagined him shuffling through the paperwork on his desk as he tried to find his NXT schedules.

"Sometimes, I really wish the writers would confirm with me who they can have before they cause such a commotion," Hunter murmured on the other end, and for a split second, AJ truly felt sympathetic towards the boss. "Don't get me wrong. I love the idea, but now I'm in a bind, too," he was still rustling around, and AJ was beginning to get antsy. She was supposed to fill Paige in on the entire situation with Finn Balor, and she figured she might as well tell her friend how quickly she became friends with Seth Rollins. She heard Hunter tell her to hang on a second as he flipped to the other line, a call waiting that was most definitely more important than with her.

Walking up and down the hallway as she listened to the dead silence, she saw that strange Kevin Owens character just down the hall. Wasn't that oddly close to the room she was staying in? She peeked again, seeing him leave...yes, it was- _her_ hotel room. Which meant Paige had him in there. Which meant...what, exactly?

He hustled past her, offering a brief smile as he nearly toppled her over with his swift movement. She pretended she hadn't noticed him coming from the other end of the hallway, but noted that not only was he clearly in a hurry to get the hell out of whatever situation he was just in, but he was also very out of breath.

Why was he being weird again? She couldn't help but honestly believe there was some kind of secret thing going on between Seth's friend and Paige. It wasn't really that far out of the realm of possibility, given the proximity of the superstars and divas at any given moment. Given the sort of closeness the WWE had with one another, things like that were bound to happen. People fell in love and out of love all the time because of this business. Sometimes, it worked out great. Other times, someone would get burned to the point of no return. In fact, she'd heard plenty of rumors of former champion Melina leave the company because her sexual endeavors had been leaked; linking her to superstars that had been married at the time. Sad as it was that love never seemed to last, it was something that wasn't a surprise to anyone anymore.

"Sorry about that," she heard Hunter's gruff, now frustrated-sounding voice back on the other line, still obviously going through paperwork. "That was Jolene from WWE creative...making things much harder than they should be," he was grumbling. AJ couldn't help but feel a teensy bit of sympathy for this man, trying hard to tie his baby, NXT, into the great things the WWE brand had been trying to do. Still, all she had wanted to do was to get in the ring with her partner and work on a few things. Maybe get all three members of their team to do some spot work and get their chemistry going.

But she couldn't do that if she had no idea who her partner was going to be, now could she?

Hunter coughed on the other end, engaging her attention fully once again. This conversation should've been well over by now, with the promise of Bayley debuting on the main roster. But the annoyance he had let seep into their conversation was clear.

"So, here's what I've got. Alexa Bliss is clear for the day, but she is currently playing a heel role. So it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to bring her in. Again, Bayley is an absolute no-go...I guess she's got appearances all day. But I do have Carmella, who isn't quite ready but has a whole lot of fan base..." Hunter trailed off. "I was told by Jason Albert that you had gotten along quite well with Carmella. So, if you don't mind, I can have her there the day before your match. Do some work with her. Get hold of Becky, and I think we'll throw this together last minute just fine. Just like we always do."

A wave of relief washed over AJ. Okay, so Bay would've been ideal; the whole world wanted to see the cutesy woman hug her way through the Bella twins. But Carmella had been great to hang out with, too...

"How does that sound, April?" she could tell Hunter was exasperated, and she figured she'd make do with the talent she had. The Princess of Staten Island herself would be aligned with AJ and Becky Lynch.

"Perfect," AJ was smiling into her phone like an idiot, even though of course the boss couldn't see her. But she was sincere. It cold be much worse, and the NXT uppers could give her someone that nobody knew well enough to make an impact.

"Good to hear. I'll make the arrangements, you get hold of Becky, and we'll get the ball rolling for Monday Night Raw." They said their departures, and AJ hung up the phone.

Now that that was sorted out, she had to investigate the situation between her friend and the brutal former NXT champion.

* * *

 _Finally._

That's all Zahra could think when her darling friend Carmella called her back, a call she'd been anxiously waiting for since Seth ran out of her house while she was standing in front of him wearing absolutely nothing.

She was sharp in the conversation at first, letting the blonde woman know she didn't appreciate it when she ignored her. She'd played the "I thought we were going to stay in touch" card, guilt-tripping the naive Massachusetts native with every word. She toned it down quite quickly when the NXT manager revealed that she was being brought to Monday Night Raw for one night only, the very same Monday Night Raw that none other than Seth Rollins himself was to be headlining.

This meant Carmella could break into Seth's head, maybe even gain information on whether or not he was seeing someone else. And, if he was, she could let Zahra know. She was sick of being the brooding, angry ex, and all she wanted was to make Seth feel as badly as she did. And wreak havoc on any "relationship" he thought he was going to be having.

He hadn't called her, nor texted her. He'd sent her a funny video on Twitter, but hadn't liked a single one of her sexy new pictures on her Instagram. She had been friendzoned.

Fuck that.

"So who are you going to be working with?" she had asked Carmella as sweetly as she could muster, hoping that she'd be aligning herself with one of the Total Divas castmates. They were always in the know about everything, oftentimes revealing huge secrets on the show simply for ratings.

"Well, I'm teaming with Becky Lynch and AJ Lee. They're in a feud with the Bella Twins, and Eva Marie is making her main roster debut." Carmella's accent was harsh, and she had a hard time making out who her teammates were. Didn't matter; Nikki, Brie, and Eva were all gossip queens and would know it all.

Now, Zahra was over the moon. Bingo.

"I'm soooo happy for you," she crooned, sucking up to the other woman. "I am so jealous that you'll be alongside some of the greatest divas in history."

"I'm happy, too. Even though I know it was only because Bayley wasn't able to join forces, if I rock the place, maybe I'll be there again faster than I expect to be."

 _Ugh. Keep dreaming, Trashy Barbie._

"I believe in you, Mella," she was laying it on thick now, getting ready for the final punch.

"Thanks, sweetie. Hey, I've got to get going. I'm getting a call from some random number again...probably one of the writers," she sounded far away.

"No problem," Zahra said quickly, scrambling so she didn't miss the opportunity to ask her to keep an eye on Seth. "Before you go, I have a huge favor to ask," she knew she sounded sickly sweet, but it was crucial. Maybe she was being childish and petty, but Rollins was her ticket to everything she'd ever wanted. If she was going down burning, she'd drag him down, too.

"Yeah, of course," she seemed a little annoyed by Zahra's quick request.

"Can you say hello to Seth for me? He's been seeing someone new. Not sure who or anything, but I just really miss him and he won't text me back because of whoever."

"Aww, girl. I got you. Of course. I'll let you know if I hear or see anything of interest," she promised, and Zahra smirked.

"Thanks. Now knock 'em all out, girl," she replied, sounding flat when she meant to be enthusiastic. Maybe that's why NXT had cut her...she couldn't feign interest to save her life. She said goodbye quickly, now giddy as hell. She was going to destroy what was left of Seth Rollins, once and for all.

This called for a glass of wine.

With that, she stood up from her bed, which if she moved just right, still smelled faintly of Seth's cologne. She was going to break out the good stuff tonight. She was in a f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s mood. Chuckling to herself at the pun she'd just made, Zahra got out one of the most expensive bottles that she'd been saving for the night Seth asked her to be officially his girl. Since that wasn't going to happen, this occasion would have to do.

The rest of the night, she figured, was all time to deviate a perfect plan.

* * *

AJ got to the arena before anyone else, hoping to jump into the ring and get a feel for it. The NXT rings had slightly more give, the ropes having more elasticity than the WWE's. Since she hadn't been in the ring in awhile, the last thing she wanted to do was to mess up. And even though she wasn't exactly thrilled that this storyline would eventually result in her losing to Eva Marie, she certainly hoped it would capture the attention outside of the Charlotte and Paige feud in respect to the divas division.

Not to mention, if Eva worked as hard as she had when they'd been grouped together at the performance center, AJ didn't really have that big of an issue helping to get the redhead over with the WWE Universe. From what she saw, Eva Marie wanted the spotlight, and she was going to do whatever it took to get there. That was the same passion many women nowadays were lacking, even some of the veterans included.

She wandered backstage, suddenly aware of ever creak, rush of air, and sniffle; the emptiness of the backstage area sort of sad. In just a few hours, this place would be packed, and she'd be bumping into people around every corner.

Which meant she would likely bump into Seth.

Her goal was to avoid him, but it was pretty unlikely that she could pretend he didn't exist. Unfortunately for her, his photo was plastered everywhere-his cocky smirk, his black gloves, his chiseled chest, dark eyes... she had been staring at his poster for the show tonight much longer than she'd realized.

"See something you like?" she jumped maybe ten feet in the air, unaware that she'd been snuck up on. Kevin Owens stood behind her, still wearing street clothes with a small smile on his face. He was watching her, and knew exactly what she was thinking...

"I just thought they'd misspelled the city," she responded lamely, knowing full-well she'd been caught.

"I see. Good thing there's Spell Check," he grinned. "Why are you wandering around backstage so early before the show?" he asked, a small worried look crossing his face. "Things okay between you and P?"

 _Paige,_ she reminded herself of the little pet name Owens used for her friend. Last week, she'd seen him coming from her hotel room. She'd badgered the anti-diva to the point of frustration, Paige not letting up on the idea that there was "absolutely nothing" going on between the two. She told AJ he'd simply been there to offer her some in-ring advice, and she got an attitude quickly because he'd forgotten that she'd been in the ring just about as long as he had. Of course, eventually she opened up a little. AJ had mustered up the courage to talk about her first boyfriend since she'd broken into the industry, Jay Lethal. They had ended just as quickly as they'd started, neither of them prepared for a relationship to the extent that was so necessary. That got Paige going on some of her own early escapades, admitting that while nothing ever developed between herself and Kevin Owens, she definitely had a crush on him back in the day.

"Of course. She's busy with an autograph signing. I'm just...kind of hoping to jump in the ring for a little bit."

"Nerves?"

"Kind of," AJ admitted. "NXT is a whole lot different than here. And now, I'm not the top dog anymore. Now, I'm just a mid-card diva. No different than...Naomi," she said the woman's name with distaste, never getting along well with her. She reminded AJ often how she beat her when it came to their year of NXT, and AJ often kept her mouth shut. When it came to popularity or in-ring skills, Naomi simply could not compare to the Black Widow. She hadn't even been allowed to look at the championship belt yet.

Kevin laughed once. "Be serious. You might not be in the title picture, but everyone's happy to see you back. And I'm sure," he cocked his head towards Seth's poster, "Seth here will be happy to see you, too."

 _Oh yeah, she was busted alright._

AJ thought for a minute. She knew better than to reveal her true thoughts and feelings to Kevin. She hardly even knew him. Not to mention, it was common knowledge that he was one of Seth's two go-to guys, the other being Antonio. She decided quickly to play it off like nothing.

"I doubt it," she said quickly, her confidence forced. "He's been busy with his ex-girlfriend."

"No, he hasn't," Kevin stated matter-of-factly. "Leighla hasn't spoken to him since pictures of him surfaced hanging out with Zahra, and he hasn't spoken to Zahra since he'd been hanging out with you."

"I...he was busy looking at Instagram photos of her while we were hanging out," she said quickly. At least that was true.

"Come on, AJ. He has been a crabby dickhead ever since you stopped replying to him. Even worse when he heard you were on a date with Finn Balor. I know Rollins isn't the best at showing his feelings, but I think he cares about you. Both of you just need to admit you have feelings for each other and get on with it. You never know what could happen."

AJ bit her lip. "Okay, Kevin. First off, I could never be with Seth. He reminds me of everything I left behind, and I just...I can't go through that again. You know why. Everyone knows why. One minute, I'm busy hanging out with the love of my life, the next minute, I discover he's been seeing his ex behind my back. And I can almost guarantee that Seth is the same type."

Kevin was growing red in the face, and she knew she'd struck a nerve. "Seth is a million times a better person that CM Punk," he replied. "Punk has been nothing but a selfish, chauvinistic asshole. You forget, I've stepped in the squared circle with him a few times. He thinks he's the best in the world? I disagree. At least Seth has the moveset to back up his better-than-thou attitude."

"So Phil's not the best in the world. Tell me something I didn't already know," she rolled her eyes, her own frustration building.

"Look, AJ. I'm trying to help out my friend, and you both have had some messy relationships. So I can understand why you're afraid to go for it. He is, too. He's convinced he's not good enough, and I have to be the supportive one that reminds him that he is."

Bravely, she shrugged in response. She was afraid she was going to start crying. "Well, right now, I'm seeing where things go with Finn. I like him. He's a nice guy."

"Sure, if you like plain bread."

"I like bread, so long as we make it into toast," chimed in another voice. AJ whirled around. Now who?

And, of course, her dark eyes were met with a warm, heart wrenching stare.

"AJ," he said coolly, not letting his eyes leave hers. "You're here early. But I'm glad to see you," Seth stepped towards her cautiously, much like one would approach a dog that they didn't know yet. He opened his arms to give her a hug, and she stepped back, unsure of what she should think.

He needed to shave. Or, maybe he didn't. She wasn't sure...he was just as breathtaking as the last time she'd seen him.

He stepped towards her again, this time, she didn't back away. She allowed him to envelope her small body into his arms, letting the warmth calm her.

"I missed you, Seth," she murmured so quietly, that she wasn't sure if he'd hear. She hoped that he didn't. In a weird way, she felt she was being unfair to Finn.

But as she allowed Seth to stand there, burying her face into his black t-shirt, Finn Balor might have been the furthest thing from her mind.


	17. Chapter 16

**Hey everyone out there reading this! Thanks for taking the time to check this story out. For real, your reviews make me so happy. Knowing anyone is reading this at all makes me smile. Shout out to lauraxxx for the reviews, I really hope you continue(d) to enjoy this story. Also, shout out to the guest reviewer who read just the first chapter and said my story was just like all the other AJ/Punk stories, making Punk look like a sexist a-hole and AJ an nonindependent woman. My intention is definitely not to make CM Punk look sexist...you'd see that in later chapters. Apologies if it seems that way. As far as AJ goes, I have her mood swinging allllll over the place quite intentionally. Having been cheated on in the past, it is a whole wave of emotion. So it's not that I want to show her as a leech, but someone who is now unsure about, well, everything. I can't imagine going through a divorce, but I imagine it has a lot of emotional distraught...which is why this is fanfiction. Just sayin'.  
**

 **So without further ado, please review, sub, follow, and as always...stay awesome. :)**

* * *

"And as for AJ's pathetic little challenge...on behalf of me and my sister, we accept!"

The crowd began to roar with anticipation, the twin divas already dressed in their red and black ring gear. Nikki gave a small smile as the crowd burst into "NXT" chants. She said something to Brie, then held up her index finger to inform everyone that she wasn't quite finished with the microphone.

"So, as for the challenge, Brie and I put our beautiful heads together. Which diva in NXT offers beauty, brains, and in-ring superiority? Well, for us, it wasn't that hard to choose." She motioned towards the empty ramp as thousands of fans' heads turned to look where she was pointed. Much to many people's dismay, the name EVA MARIE flashed across the titantron in a feminine cursive font, her music beginning to play.

Some people cheered, but more people booed. Even _more_ people let out boos when she actually appeared, her bright red hair matching her red robe. She played off the jeers, happy to have a reaction at all. She gave a smug smile, knowing fully well how many people didn't want her to be there. AJ watched from the monitor backstage, silently happy that Eva was great at playing off critics. A lot of divas got sucked up in being afraid of what others thought of them, eventually ruining their career.

The only thing _,_ AJ thought, that Eva didn't have going for her was her entrance. It reminded her too much of the veteran diva, Candice Michelle...just with suckier music.

Joining the twins in the ring, Nikki offered her partner the microphone she'd been holding. Before Eva even brought the mouthpiece to her lips, the crowd was roaring, some sections still on the "NXT" chant; others started up a "We want Sasha" chant.

"Oh, please," she said sweetly, once the decibels decreased in the building. "Don't act like you guys aren't all excited to see me. I mean, why wouldn't you be?"

Nikki and Brie nodded their heads, making a show of clapping and encouraging the other woman.

"Thank you, ladies," Eva acknowledged them, showing her impossibly white teeth as she smiled. "Well, anyways, when I heard that some has-been issued a challenge to my Total Divas castmates, I knew aligning with them was the right thing to do. I mean, sure, we've had our differences. But if I've learned one thing during my time in NXT, it's that the future is now. AJ Lee, I'm sorry to tell you, but your time is up. AJ is the past. Nikki, Brie, and Eva Marie? That's the _now._ "

She was faced with the loud audience again, but all three women stood tall in response, each smiling beautifully with matching red lips.

Eva handed the microphone back to Nikki, draping an arm around her shoulder as though they were best of friends.

"Oh, knock it off. Besides, at least we all look good in all red everything," Nikki motioned a thumb towards Brie, Eva laughing at the pun. With that, Becky Lynch's music struck like lightning, the crowd instantly reacting to the excitement as she adjusted her steampunk goggles. She ran down the ring, her fiery orange hair a blur until she stood in the center of the ring with the other women.

She motioned for her own microphone, a stagehand tossing one up to her.

"Have we seriously not rid ourselves yet of the eyesore that is Eva Marie?" she asked, probably quite seriously. "Aside from your matching red gear, ladies, the only things you all have in common is awful move sets, pretty faces, and enormous egos," Becky's accent made her sound angry, but she also sounded very sincere.

"And, Eva, at least I made it here all on my own. I didn't have publicists, or a drama television show. I didn't hook up with hot superstars or get special training. And, at least I've had title matches, both for the NXT Women's belt and here with the Divas belt. How many have you had, again? Exactly. So why are you here? To show off your fresh hair dye?"

 _Ouch,_ AJ thought, impressed by Becky Lynch's promo work. NXT certainly did a fabulous job with things like that nowadays, and it was pretty impressive to see a divas segment last for more than thirty seconds. Even more, Becky reminded AJ of herself; her own 'pipebomb' rocking the divas division years ago. The fiery Irish woman was sure to succeed.

In response to that, Eva just rolled her eyes, whispering something in Brie's ear that made her laugh.

AJ realized that that little move was her queue, flattening her long dark hair once more before standing straight behind the curtain. She was ready to go in her own ring gear, her denim shorts tight against her thighs so that she didn't have any accidental free shows. She also wore a black hooded sweatshirt to mask the t-shirt she wore underneath, a "SAWFT" NXT shirt to show her support to Carmella, who was more than just a little nervous to be in front of so many people.

Her music began to play, and she turned to the blonde rookie and winked at her before taking a deep breath and started skipping down to the ring. She noticed how many fans had actually stuck around for the segment, where traditionally, when the women got TV time, it resulted in a lot of bathroom breaks. That meant they were doing something right. People's attentions were captivated.

She gave Becky Lynch a small hug when she stepped into the ring, adjusting herself to sit on the ropes as she eyed her three opponents. For the first time in a long time, she had actually opted out of delivering a promo. When Steph had asked AJ if she wanted to do a short segment of her own, she happily declined. "I really would like to focus on the girls of NXT. They deserve it," she'd stated nonchalantly. And even though Stephanie hadn't said so, her face said it all. She was actually quite proud of AJ.

"Thank you for joining us, AJ," Becky motioned towards her. AJ responded to her, making a quick joke about the trio that stood across the ring. Nikki feigned anger, stomping towards the tiny woman until it forced AJ to stand up. Now, they stood toe to toe. All rehearsed, but the chemistry tonight was so spot-on that it felt like a movie, everything flowing flawlessly.

"Now, now, Nikki," Brie had the microphone now. "It's not fair to go picking on them quite yet. There's only two members of their team, and three on ours. Unless, of course, you couldn't find anyone who actually wanted to team with you two talentless bores?"

Nikki backed off, mocking AJ and Becky as they awaited the non-arrival of their third team member. The chants started up again, but nobody showed up on the ramp or the titantron.

"Exactly as we suspected," Brie smiled. "I guess it'll be a handicap match, then!"

Just as she exclaimed those last words, the entire arena erupted when "F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S" started to play, Carmella doing a quick moonwalk before strutting down to the ring in cheetah-print gear. If she was nervous, she sure didn't show it anymore. AJ unzipped her sweatshirt to reveal their third partner's traditional logo, tossing it out on the apron. Before the referee had a chance to call for the start of the match, she plucked the microphone right out of Brie's unsuspecting fingers. Brie acted offended, and Carmella smiled brightly as she turned to take in the thousands of people watching her.

"All's I gotta say, dah-ling," she played up her east coast speak a little, "is how YOU doin'?" the fans of NXT simultaneously recited the last bit with the Princess, before the referee ended the segment with the bell.

* * *

"You ladies did amazing!" Paige greeted all six of the divas as they came backstage from the match. She gave Carmella a loose hug, quietly offering her words of congratulations. AJ smiled broadly as Seth Rollins approached her, handing her a bottle of water as he was near enough.

"You can't bring me water like that after my match," she said quietly. "People will talk."

"So? We're friends. Let them."

AJ rolled her eyes, hoping nobody else had noticed his act of kindness. She chugged the water quickly, not realizing how thirsty she'd been until she felt the cold liquid roll down her throat.

"That was an awesome match," he commented finally as they walked together down the hallway, leaving behind the commotion. "Seriously. I haven't seen a divas segment that was so on point in...well, since maybe your feud with Kaitlyn." AJ smiled at the mention of one of her dearest friends, and was kind of flattered that Seth had watched her matches prior to her recent run with the company.

"Thank you. I really appreciate you saying that," she looked up to face him, noticing his lips were pressed in a thin line. As though, perhaps, he had more to say.

The match really had gone on beautifully. Becky Lynch ultimately gained the pin on Nikki Bella, the small attempt of beginning a feud between the harsh warrior and the self-proclaimed queen bee. Carmella had an amazing bout, both with Eva Marie and Brie. To create a little fire to ignite the feud between AJ and Eva Marie, Eva had pulled some dirty moves like an eye rake and a roll-up while holding on to AJ's beltloops. She also mocked AJ's height, motioning towards the height difference between the two.

"I really think you should re-think this match idea between you and Eva," Seth said, readjusting the championship belt on his shoulder.

"You know that I can't do that," AJ shot back, annoyed that he'd even be bring that up. "I don't think she's doing that bad."

"Maybe not, but when I saw her lock up with Carmella...I don't know. I don't want you to tarnish your legacy by dropping a match to her, no matter how much she's improved. If you want, I can skate by Hunter's office and see if he's willing to change direction on this whole thing."

AJ looked at him as though he had three eyes. "Seriously? No, please don't do that. I hurt someone on purpose. I'm lucky to have a job. Not to mention, I don't think it's fair to dislike the creative intent so much to go crying to the boss. Maybe people like you get the option of doing things like that, but I don't. I'm doing this to help someone get over, you know, and carry in to the next generation of divas when I'm truly done with this. And I'm not going to stop until I'm proud of what I'm going to leave behind."

Seth held up both hands, defeated. "Relax, AJ. It was just an offer."

"Yeah, well, I don't need your help. You wouldn't willingly try to put someone over even if it was right, because your ego is so big it can barely fit through the door," she was feeling confident, her words sharp.

"While I don't deny having the ego of a champion, I most certainly would do what I could to help someone out if they rightfully deserved it."

AJ scoffed, starting back down the hallway towards the locker rooms. She had been so happy to see this guy just a few hours ago, and it was reasons like this he got under her skin and made her wonder what in the hell his charm was. Why was she friends with someone like this? Someone who would use the gold to get his way with the management?

"I'll prove it to you," he was right at her heels, trying to keep the conversation in tact.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I bet you won't."

Seth put a hand on her shoulder, slowing her. She turned to look at him, tucking her hair awkwardly behind her ears to avoid looking him straight in the eye.

"I bet you I will. I will lose a title match, if it meant projecting someone upwards," he plead with her. "I'm sorry for being an idiot and suggesting I use my power with Hunter instead of letting you pay your dues. That was really shitty of me. I must seem like a grade-A tool."

AJ shrugged, slightly nodding in agreement. "Well, you said it. You should lose your match tonight, against Dean." Seth gave her a wild look, unsure if he had heard correctly.

"As I thought. You won't throw the match."

"I would, if it wasn't a title match. And if it wasn't against Dean...we haven't seen eye to eye in over a year."

"Even though he deserves a little push?"

Seth sighed, defeated. "What if I don't?"

"Hmmm...then you will sit down with both your old brothers and apologize for throwing them under the bus. Throwing them to the side so you could go further, while they sit and hang around in mid-card, tag-team land. You apologize for only worrying about yourself, even though you all came in to the business as a unit, and intended to keep it that way for as long as possible. And, of course, apologize for sidling up to the damn Authority. Even though, in my opinion, you should apologize for those things anyways," she drawled out her last word, making her point. "I know you ruined your friendships when you jumped ship like that, not even offering a forewarning. And from the times I've spent with you before, it hurts you still."

Seth looked down at his boots, avoiding her dark-eyed gaze. "So I don't throw the match, and I am forced to apologize to my former teammates?" he was weighing this option, realizing that it was more likely that it go badly than not. If he was forced to make amends, would it be sincere? Sometimes, he wasn't sure if he felt badly for turning coat so quickly. He did what was right for Seth Rollins. And even though it probably pissed off his brothers, what did it matter? Not to mention, if he had to sit down like a sissy and say he fucked up, it was just gonna be draining any ounce of pride he had left.

"Fine. And if I do?"

"I don't know. What do you want?"

"To spend more time with people who make me want to be a better person," he said simply.

"I'm not sure I'm following."

"Do you have any travel plans for the week?"

"Um...no? I don't even have any scheduled appearances that I know of."

"Perfect. I don't, either. I've actually got the next week off."

"Your point?"

"Where have you been staying when you're not on the road?"

AJ shrugged, Seth making her uncomfortable. She hadn't been very vocal of how shitty that whole situation was, no longer having a real home to go back to when she had a little time off. She'd been meaning to look into homes on her days off, but instead she had been filling her time with work. It seemed it was the only thing that kept her mind straight, and her focus clear.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. You can't keep living out of hotel rooms forever. I'd like for you to come and stay with me, for a week."

AJ laughed. "Yeah, okay. Deal," she stated, extending her hand out for a handshake.

"Deal," he responded, taking her offered hand.

He walked away, leaving AJ to laugh again. There was no way in the world Seth Rollins would change the outcome of his match for the better. As far as AJ could tell, he was all about getting a leg up for himself.

She doubted that this was going to be anything but that.

* * *

"And the winner of the match...DEAN AMBROSE!" The fans were yelling wildly as Eden Stiles announced the victor, a proud smile shining from the center of the ring. Dean couldn't believe it, the shiny belt in his arms. His face was in disbelief.

True disbelief. As if he wasn't expecting to win. As if Seth had marched into his little buddy Triple H's office and asked to drop the title to Dean Ambrose.

AJ sat in the divas locker room, Carmella and Paige hanging around her while the other ladies opted to leave early before the rush of madness at the end of the show. All three of them looked at each other in pure shock, not sure what in the hell was going on. They all had scripts; Seth Rollins was slated to win this match tonight due to interference by Roman Reigns. But, the tall Samoan was nowhere in sight, and it was the Lunatic Fringe clutching the prized possession.

She was going to be hanging out with fucking Seth Rollins for the next week. AJ hadn't told Paige of the stupid little bet she'd made. She had actually expected to win it. But now, she was going to be heading to some cornfield in Iowa, fighting both urges to hug Seth for being so sweet and punch him in the face for being such a douche.

"However...I am told due to disqualification, Seth Rollins is STILL the champion!" she exclaimed, her tone even. Now, everyone booed, as Seth came back into the ring to take the belt away from Dean...who ran out of the ring, the belt still tucked in his arm. Ending the show was a close-up on a furious face of the top heel of the company, throwing a temper tantrum just like a kid who had his favorite toy taken away from him.

The screen went black, and Paige turned to AJ. "I don't know what in the fuck that was," she said matter-of-factly, raising an eyebrow. "Seth's been acting weird. But weird enough to change the outcome of a match? That's just..." she shook her head rather than finish her thought. "Did he say anything to you when he pulled you aside after our match?"

 _What the...she actually saw that?_ AJ hadn't intended for anyone to notice that they had gone wandering off together, and it seemed nobody had. Everyone else was so busy talking about the impact of the segment on the diva's revolution. Apparently, Paige had seen them.

"Of course not," AJ said simply. She hated lying to her friend like this, but she knew Paige often acted like a mother hen. Paige was outspoken, and if she knew that Seth Rollins were to ever make a pass at any of her friends, she'd have no problem throwing him into a submission just to get him to leave any hopes behind. AJ supposed that was fine; after all, it was Paige who helped to rebuild her self-worth once shit had hit the fan. Paige welcomed her back with open arms. Her intentions on keeping AJ from getting hurt all over again were good ones, and she knew that.

But wait. Did she win the bet? Or lose it? Seth _had_ lost the match to Dean. But he didn't lose the belt. Did it do a damn thing to put Dean into the main event picture? That was the whole purpose, wasn't it?

"Interesting. What exactly would someone like Seth Rollins say to you?" Paige pried on, not impressed.

"He pretty much said that we killed the match. He said he hasn't seen anything that good in a long, long time." Well, it wasn't a lie.

"And he said all that to you away from everyone else? He didn't think anyone else should hear his expert opinion?" Paige questioned, one of her perfectly done-up eyebrows raised. She didn't believe a word coming from AJ.

"Er...yeah. He also mentioned he'd seen all the drama and Twitter and offered an ear if I needed it. You know...when the Shield came up on the fast track from NXT, they were hired as Phil's bodyguards...so he knew them fairly well." There. She pulled that card.

Paige accepted that. "Ah, that makes sense," she laid off, getting up from her metal chair. It made sense for people to offer condolences away from everyone else towards AJ. And while it was kind of lame, it worked to get Paige off her back. Carmella hadn't been paying any attention to the conversation, busy sending texts and snapchats to her goofy boyfriend.

"Well, chicks, I'm going to head back to the hotel," she stretched, turning her black baseball hat she wore backwards. "You're more than welcome to ride along."

Carmella agreed, the excitement of her evening clearly taking a toll on her. She looked exhausted.

"I've got to meet up with Stephanie quick," AJ lied. "And then I'm going to be heading home. I have a clear schedule, and I kind of miss being in a real bed."

Paige shot her a look. "You mean...like, home, home?"

"Yes. In Union City," AJ lied. "All I want is something familiar, and home-made pancakes." In all actuality, she hadn't been home often at all, and she intended to keep it that way. That place was horrible, a constant reminder of the humility she was put through as a kid. Growing up, she didn't have a lot of money. She was average-looking, and her love of comic books and wrestling very much set her apart from her peers. She was often the target for bullies, often hearing snide remarks about her brother's hand-me-down t-shirts she wore during her high school years.

Her family was a whole other story. While they were happy for her achieving all of the goals she'd set for herself, they didn't necessarily approve of her decisions in her personal life, including her retirement, marriage, and moving to the dreary Illinois city.

"Alright, sweet pea. Keep in touch while you're away," Paige slung her bags around either of her arms, getting ready to exit the arena.

AJ bid both of the women farewell, giving Carmella another quick note of encouragement on such an excellent first night on the main roster. "When you're ready to stay here with us for good," AJ hugged her, "I can't wait to see you beat my-I mean, _Nikki_ 's record for longest reigning divas champion." This made Carmella beam.

Once both the divas were well out of the building, AJ exited the locker room, peeking out of the hallway. There were lots of crew members taking down lights, folding up curtains, and packing up props. Mandy, one of the seamstresses, was packing up her sequin caddy. Michael Cole's voice could be heard, but he was far away, the words inaudible. But aside from his, that was the only voice AJ heard.

She ducked out quickly, heading down the hallway. If she didn't find Seth soon, she would have no choice but to ask Michael Cole for a ride to a hotel.

 _And there were about six hundred things that would be more exciting than listen to Michael Cole talk,_ she thought to herself _. For example, a Great Khali title reign._

No sooner than her final thought, arms wrapped around her middle, and she was in the air.

"I hope to God this isn't Brock Lesnar, and I'm about to go to Suplex City," she winced, awaiting a bump. Instead, she was put down gently, now facing the weasel that was Seth Rollins.

"Nope, just me," he smirked. "And technically, you're going to Dubuque, Iowa."

AJ rolled her eyes. "How do you figure? You didn't drop the title to Dean. And you didn't jet him to main-event status. That was the deal."

"Au contraire, madame," Seth was being goofy, the side that she secretly wished he'd show more often. "You never gave stipulations. So, I went to see the Authority, pitched them the idea, and they liked it. It builds hate for me, and sympathy for Dean. And also, it sets him up for some comedy shit to help lead up to a main event at the next pay-per-view."

 _Ah, shit. The sneaky asshole got one up on me._

"Okay, fine. You're right," she agreed, realizing how many loopholes were left open for Seth to worm his way through this little bet.

"Go and grab your bags, and I'll meet you outside. I'm pretty sure my rental is the last one out there. Our flight leaves at 11 tonight, so we might want to grab some caffeine before we hit the road to the airport. I don't know about you, but I sleep like ass on planes."

With that, he ducked into a smaller hallway and into one of the offices, leaving her speechless. She told herself to start walking towards the divas locker room, but her legs wouldn't move. Was she really going to be holed up with this guy? For a week? She might kill him.

Her phone pinged in her pocket, and she drew it without looking at the sender, anxious for any kind of distraction from her current situation.

 _Looked great out there, Ape._

She froze, a panic rising quickly, as if someone had just shot a blast of ice through her soul. She felt sick. She felt angry. She felt...sad. Hopeless.

The only person that called her Ape was her ex-husband. Why in the hell would he be sending her a message at all?

All she wanted to do now was run and hide, away from cameras and Twitter and all that is CM Punk. And for a week, she would do just that. After all, she did 'lose' a bet with a manipulative but smart gambler. She was grateful to keep herself preoccupied in the middle of nowhere. And while the company she would be keeping might be bittersweet, it would be better than being alone and feeling sorry for herself in an over-priced motel.


	18. Chapter 17

**Hey all! My sincere apologies for slacking, as I've fallen into the trap of non-updating due to work schedule. Seeing as this is one of the few things that level me, I present to you...another chapter.  
**

 **Oh yeah, and by the way, Seth broke up with Zahra Schreiber, yayyyy. I mean, she's gorgeous, but from what I do know about her, she doesn't seem to have any likable qualities. So that makes me happy, and it makes this a lot easier to write.**

* * *

Seth's condo was exactly what she'd expect from him. A far cry from the flat she'd shared with Punk, he had it adorned in gray and black decor, looking modern, sharp, and clean. Though it didn't show much of the superstar's personality, it was very put-together; almost like he had bought it straight out of a catalog. _Perhaps_ , she thought, _because he had_. The backyard had a swimming pool, a hot tub, and a garage that could pass as a small home. He had a giant grill parked on the patio leading up to sliding doors, a cheesy but somehow welcoming umbrella table in the center.

"What do you think?" Seth asked after he'd given the tour. She turned to face him, and he had an inquisitive look in his eyes.

"I think...it's beautiful, no doubt, but rather dull," she admitted. "I don't see a lot of what makes Seth, Seth." She felt badly as his face dropped a little, and added, "I know it's hard to put a lot of time and effort into a simple thing like decorating your home when you're on the road so much. So don't feel bad." He seemed to liven back up. AJ found herself curious if his home was very hotel-like because he'd given the decorating authority to his ex-girlfriends. _Not that it's my business,_ she thought bitterly.

She'd began to ponder what her own home looked like now. Or, what _used_ to be her home; she really needed to get hold of Colt Cabana to see if he could swipe her nerdy action figures and stuff from her old gaming room before Amy shipped them all off to Goodwill. Her collections aside, most of her possessions were replaceable, and the only things she really wanted were the contents of the spare bedroom.

She supposed, too, that she could shoot Punk a quick text. After all, he _had_ broken the ice and made it known he'd watched her segment with the rest of the divas. And although that didn't mean she should jump back into any sort of friendship with him, it was hard to not speak to him at all. It was hard not to feel like she was a ghost, wandering from city to city with no sense of where to go. Slowly, with the help of great friends, the hole in her soul seemed to be stitching back up. AJ reminded herself that not everyone you lose is considered a loss...

Seth was clambering through his kitchen, an enormous silver display of pots, pans, oils, and noodles. It looked almost identical to something you'd see on the cooking channel, nothing out of place and everything sanitized to probably hospital standards. Though neither of them spoke, it was a comfortable silence; both of them lost in their own thoughts. It was almost as though they'd done this a million times, and this was just another day.

"You like omelets?" Seth asked finally, cracking some eggs on the pan he'd drawn down from it's hanger.

"Sure," AJ watched him intently, unsure if she trusted him to cook. Or rather, cook _well._

"Anything you don't like in it?"

"Nah, not really. I'm starved, you could probably put toe fungus in it, and I wouldn't complain."

Seth let out a short laugh, shaking his head. He opened up the refrigerator, and she noted it was fully stocked with water, leafy vegetables, fruit, fruit juice, and labeled protein shakes. It was quite clear that although Rollins could cook himself, he still had someone do his shopping and prep some meals for him while he was gone. He began to pull out all sorts of containers, throwing them all together. Spinach, feta cheese, mushrooms, peppers, and some sort of green veggie that AJ didn't recognize had made the cut. Whatever he was creating smelled amazing, and her stomach let out a low grumble.

"It smells amazing," AJ said when he placed a shiny black plate in front of her, her omelet cooked to perfection. He'd also given her a slice of whole-grain toast.

"Yeah, well. The Rock doesn't have anything on me," he smirked, and AJ shot him a confused look.

"You know...smell what the...Rock...nevermind," his ears turned slightly pink, and she realized he was a little embarrassed. His dorky side was showing, and she kind of liked it.

"I get it," she lightly patted his shoulder. "I appreciate all of this. Thank you. It's been...shoot, I don't know...forever since I had real food."

Seth set down a glass of orange juice for her before setting himself up on the opposite end of the table. Before taking his seat, he slid his phone into his pocket, and AJ couldn't help but to be in awe of such a simple gesture. In this day and age, it was almost unheard of to not have your phone within your range of sight; yet here Seth was, unknowingly showing that the person he was with was more important in that moment than whoever might try to reach him.

Such a simple gesture, but something that nobody did anymore...

His eyes were deep, holding hers as he asked her about the things she'd learned in NXT. She told him all about working alongside some of the legends. She told him about Apollo Crews, somewhat unable to be a team player during their run. She'd mentioned she'd seen the popular rising-star, Baron Corbin, flip off one of the coaches when they told him he wasn't landing a bump properly. About how she was slightly jealous of Alexa Bliss's ass-to which he grunted to, which told her that he wasn't sure if that was something he should comment on or not.

"So...what about the charming Finn Balor?" Seth finally asked. "I presume he has a little bit to do with why you fell off the face of the earth for awhile."

Biting her tongue, AJ could feel a little hint of her anger begin bubbling. He sure was dense...the way she remembered it, she'd brought up the fact that she was feeling more than "just friends" towards the current WWE champion. And his reply was...lukewarm, to say the least.

"Finn is...Finn is really nice. He knows a lot about this business. He's smart. Good-looking. Easy to listen to," she gave him the most basic answers she could, not wanting him to be jealous.

 _But...why? Because, as far as I know, he's been hanging around with some tattooed, SUV-driving designer label whore._

"I really ought to call him. I sort of left him hanging," she stammered, unable to look into Seth's piercing eyes anymore.

He shrugged off her response, drinking the last of his own orange juice.

"There's plenty of fish in the sea. Which means, there's plenty of gills. And Finn's," Seth joked, but his tone was stone, and AJ thought she understood his roundabout way of speaking. He watched her for a moment longer before getting up, taking his dishes to the dishwasher machine. AJ got up, too, getting the urge to run to the guest bedroom and hide under the shiny silver comforter for...well, forever.

Not speaking, Seth took the dishes she'd handed him, loading them as well. He started up the washer, and she watched him carefully.

"I'm going out," he finally said. "If you need anything, I'm sure you'll find it," he turned on his heel, extracting his cell phone from his pocket.

"Can't I come along?" she asked, hating how small and juvenile her voice sounded. She sounded so needy, like she couldn't keep herself busy for a few hours while Seth did whatever Seth does. But she was considered a guest, wasn't she? So why wasn't he going to hang out with her?

"I've just got to run an errand. You'll be fine," he said, shooting her down. He opened a cabinet, dozens of keys hanging on the inside. Taking out one single, shiny silver key, he opened the garage door. Somewhat shocked at the sudden change in his attitude, she watched him walk straight to a mean-looking motorcycle, very similar to the one she'd seen Baron Corbin jump on after the coaches excused him from practice for his obscene hand gesture. Seth didn't look nearly as intimidating as he peeled down the driveway.

Unsure of whether he was now angry with her or not, AJ wondered what in the hell she should be doing. What could she do? She was in the middle of a cornfield, in a strange house, all by herself. All she needed now was an axe murderer.

Suddenly uneasy, she zoomed upstairs to the bedroom Seth had shown her just a while ago. Her bags were already there, and she tore through her items trying to find a pair of comfortable pants. She finally pulled out her AMBROSE ASYLUM WWE authentic sweats, giggling to herself as she pulled them on over her black bikini-cut underwear. She wasn't particularly tired, but she could relax. After all, her room came with one of the most ginormous flat-screen televisions she'd ever seen.

Flopping on to the king-sized bed, AJ fumbled with the remote control, trying all kinds of combinations to turn on the screen. Frustrated, she got up, searching for the power button along the bottom of the screen. After pressing every single small button, she relaxed when the screen burst to life, a Welcome, Guest! image appearing. It was apparently a smart-tv, and she had the option to go to social media, watch TV, watch a movie, surf the web, order a pay-per-view, or access WWE Network all on the home screen.

 _This is too much. This guest television was nicer than our entire cable set-up._

* * *

"Hey, Mella," Zahra purred to her friend. "I saw your match. You ladies did really great," she faked enthusiasm as best she could, glad her psuedo-friend finally had returned her phone call from the night before.

Sure, she knew she seemed super desperate. But she was anxious, and all she really wanted was to make herself feel a little better by destroying everything in sight. Crazy? Maybe.

"Thanks, Zee. It was...wow. I can't even describe what it was like to be in front of that crowd. Plus, I got a decent reaction, which means there are more and more people catching on to NXT. If that's not saying something, I don't know what is."

"Right, right," Zahra replied, trying to hide the annoyance in her voice. She didn't call to hear about the fucking crowd. Shit, she hadn't called to congratulate Trashy Barbie. All she wanted to know was if she'd been able to insert herself into any backstage gossip.

Who exactly was Seth hanging around with, if anyone at all? Though it wasn't like him to become attached to someone else, especially someone he worked with, she was beginning to think that was why he hadn't bothered to call her, text her, or seek her company whatsoever. In the past, the only person that made her wonder was the youngest diva, Paige. She and Seth could talk geekery for hours, and until Zahra had brought up the foul-mouthed bitch, he was actually pretty good friends with her. However, if that was who Seth was screwing around with, everyone in the world would know. She was either a nobody, a somebody, or Leighla.

"So, I didn't exactly get to talk to Seth," Carmella finally said, and Zahra's ears perked up. She'd given no warning of the shift in her very one-sided conversation, so she wasn't even sure what the Staten Island princess was actually on about.

"What? Why?" Zahra demanded, too angrily. "I mean, I just...really hoped you could at least get him to text me back," she lightened up, trying her hardest to make the blonde feel sorry for her.

"I know, Zee. But he's the champion right now, so it's kind hard to just walk right up to him and demand to know why he hasn't been speaking to his ex-girlfriend. He was hanging out with Kevin, and Kevin will sniff out bullshit immediately..."

"Girl, all I hear right now are excuses," Zahra snapped, not bothering to cover up her true feelings anymore. "I really thought you'd do me well here. You had the opportunity to work alongside the Total Divas, who literally talk about everyone and everything without a filter, and you aren't able to bring me back a glimmer of hope?"

"Zahra, they're all friends. To them, I'm kind of an outsider. Even Becky is still on the outside looking in, and she's been on the main roster for awhile now."

Still pissed, Zahra mentally tried to calm herself down, letting the frustration simmer before she snapped at her "friend" again.

"So you couldn't at least put a bug in his ear for me. So what," she murmured, cradling her cell phone as she poured herself a glass of wine. She'd gone through three bottles since she'd last spoken to Carmella, all in hopes of easing her mind. "Don't you at least have something to offer me? Suspicion that he's seeing someone, perhaps?"

"Umm...no, not really," Carmella sounded exasperated now, and it was obvious she was hoping she'd be able to cut the conversation. "I mean, maybe he is. I have no idea. Truly. But if he is, then he obviously isn't ready for the whole world to know. And, if he is, then maybe it's good. Moving on and that...and maybe you should think about doing the same."

"I AM DOING THE SAME!" Zahra now yelled into her phone. "I don't need that slimeball! I feel like he used me, abandoned me, and threw me aside for a newer, shinier toy. Just as he did to Leighla. So I want to avenge her, and avenge myself. Seth Rollins deserves to rot in the Undateable Hall of Fame!"

"Zahra, you knew the kind of relationship ya'll were getting into before you got into it. Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything. If he wanted to tell you about his life, I'm sure he would be doing just that. So, are we done here?" the NXT diva now had a bite to her tone, and the idea that she would hang up at any second made Zahra a little nervous.

"I...yeah. I'm really sorry to have yelled," Zahra apologized smoothly. "I'm still trying to get over the heartbreak, you know..."

"Yeah, whatever. Listen, I gotta fly."

"Of course. Really, sweetie, I'm sorry for acting like such a brat-" but her words clung into the air as a dial tone sounded, letting her know that Carmella had enough of her childish antics and opted to hang up on her.

 _"FUCK!"_ Zahra screeched to herself, her voice ringing through the air so sharp that the pane of the windows rattled. She threw her wine glass at the wall, the glass shattering immediately, the dark red liquid spilling down the walls much like blood in a murder mystery movie. Rather than feel bad and start cleaning the mess she made, she logged on to her Instagram account and began to post angry quote-pictures, knowing full-well they'd cause talk among her followers that they were directed towards the champion.

But that wasn't enough. Nope, she logged on to Twitter, and sent a nasty, angry Tweet to Seth Rollins for being a "hit it and quit it" kind of guy. Even if it was unlikely to make it to his own eyes, at least his sworn fans would see. _And,_ she thought, _once I find out who's bed he's sleeping in nowadays, she's going to get a shitstorm thrown her way, too._

Feeling slightly better, she her face just right towards the window, snapping a quick selfie and uploading it to all of her accounts. Yep, she was still hot as hell.

 _So, why couldn't Seth just see that?_

* * *

Seth sat opposite his mother, drinking black coffee as she eyed him cautiously. Since he'd ruined everything with Leighla, his mother was not his biggest fan. She had been looking forward to seeing her son marry the love of his life, and had even taken Seth's ex-fiancee to go looking at wedding gowns once while Seth was away, seeing the world.

 _And Zahra's ceiling_ , Seth thought bitterly. But by now, he knew that no apology could undo the bad choices he made when it came to his relationship. In turn, he'd hurt his mother, and since then, she had remained distant from him. She didn't call him anymore unless he called her first, stopped inquiring about his work, and didn't even ask about his relationships anymore because if it wasn't with Leighla, she didn't care. She'd said so herself.

The air between the two of them was stagnant, and neither of them spoke. She watched him with her beady black eyes, waiting for him to say something.

"So...how have you been?" he asked finally, and she bristled straight away.

"Maybe if you would call once in awhile, you'd know how your mother was doing," she shot back, now looking into her coffee cup. "Seth, I know you think I want nothing to do with you, and while I admit the disappointment I hold over you is overwhelming, that doesn't mean I don't like to hear from you."

"I know, mom. And I'm really sorry for the way things all happened. Believe me, if I could change everything, I would..."

"Would you?" His wimpy half-ass apology caught her wrong, and now her eyes were spitting fire. "Because I don't think you'd change anything. You backed out of something that would've been a forever thing because you got scared. You are a coward. And now, you have no relationship to show for it-not even with that trollop that you left Lay for!"

"Mom, I-"

"And you know what else? The coward I see in your relationships is the very same coward that I watch every week on television. Seth, darling, I love you, but when are you going to stop running from things you're afraid of? You are much stronger a person than a cheater, yet you portray that in both your everyday life and your persona. Don't you think it's time for a change?"

"I can't exactly ask the creative writers to change the way they book me," he grumbled, now downing his coffee so he didn't have to try to explain the framework for the company he both loved and hated. Unfortunately for him, AJ's ex-husband was right; his "pipebomb" from years ago was coming true in front of the entire world. The backstage politics ran the show. While Hunter saw the potential of Seth Rollins, Vince McMahon was the puppetmaster, and his eyes were forever cast upwards at Seth's former partner, Roman Reigns. It was just a matter of time before things shifted in the Samoan's favor.

"Well at the very least, perhaps you should carry yourself with an ounce of dignity and respect. You might find someone decent. With less tattoos," the small woman gave a soft smile, but she wasn't joking.

"Life isn't about 'finding someone,' mom. You know that."

"Ah, perhaps. But it is about being happy. And you are about as unhappy as they come. Why else would you be making choices like you do?"

"Oooh, the big bad Rollins is getting talked to about choices!" came a booming voice from behind him. Rolling his eyes, he made a quick wave towards his younger brother, who was currently a senior at Iowa State. A star football player, Josh was the polar opposite of Seth. He was huge, athletic, smart, and so focused on getting drafted to the NFL that he had absolutely zero interest in the girls who literally threw themselves his way.

Josh pulled up one of the beat-up wooden chairs to the table, choosing to sit right in between Seth and their mother.

"It's about time you come around here," Josh nodded towards his brother, folding his hands on to the table. "But I guess you're too embarrassed, knowing that your neighbors have seen the most _private_ of your parts."

"Fuck off," Seth muttered.

"Do not curse at the table!" the woman scolded. "Joshua, please do not bring up that _incident_ to me again!"

In response, the larger man turned and laughed, glad to have gotten on everyone's nerves so quickly. As decent of a guy as he was, he was still the typical jock, the very one that sat in every single classroom making rude jokes about the teacher and flirted with the nerd sitting next to them so she'd spot him some quiz answers when he had been up too late partying the night before.

"In other news, how's Leighla's replacement? Did she decide to follow in Hitler's footsteps, and now that she got fired, is spending her spare time making up some gas chambers for her victims?"

"Joshua Hendricks!" Seth's mom was now on her feet, her tiny hand raised over his head to smack him over the top. Seth buried his face in his hands, cursing at his brother much to his mother's dismay. Again, one unfortunate thing about the whole world watching you was that even Seth's brother knew Zahra's stupid Nazi-like postings on her social websites had landed her a ticket home immediately.

"Zahra and I are not together. But, really, both you two really make me feel like I'll find a good girl one day," Seth got up, pushing his chair into the table before walking his empty coffee mug to the sink. His mother followed him, ready to wash it with a faded yellow dishtowel that lay draped across the faucet.

Josh laughed as he got up from the table, yelling something obscene to his brother before tuning into whatever ESPN was rambling on about in the living room. Rolling his eyes, Seth apologized quickly to his mother, but excused himself, stating that he had to go home.

"Go home? But you just got home," his mother put the now cleaned mugs in the drying rack, not looking into her oldest son's eyes.

"I know. And I love you, Ma, but since I've been here, you two have made me feel worse than when I walked in. I have a guest that I brought home with me, and I'm sure she'll wonder where I am if I stay out too long. She's not from around here."

"A guest? A girl?" her hands flew over her mouth, clearly shocked. "Is it precious Leighla?" This caught Josh's attention as he muted the television.

"Come on, get real. Leighla wouldn't have a thing to do with me. No, my guest is a friend. Just a friend. That's it. She just didn't have anywhere to stay...because she just went through a divorce."

"A friend that you work with?" Josh asked, an eyebrow raised. A look of disapproval crossed his mother's features once he'd mentioned the d-word. He could just hear her coming up with a lecture right now. _.."Seth, a person with that much baggage...it's not yours to carry...you have bigger dreams than..."_ Yes, he could almost hear those words sitting at the tip of her tongue. But, before she had a chance to speak, he quickly turned to Josh.

"Yes, dumbass. A friend that I work with."

"She cute?"

A flash of a giggling AJ entered his mind, and he knew he couldn't tell his family the truth. They'd expect too much of him if he admitted that yes, she was cute. And yes, she had potential...

"She's okay, I guess," Seth responded. Josh shouted something back at him, but he was already saying his last goodbye to his mother before leaving the home, hopping on to his cycle, and spending the rest of his time away from this chaos. He looked forward to seeing AJ at his home, the only person lately that seemed to think on the same level as he did.

All he wanted to do was relax.

Pulling into the drive, he got a - _ping!_ \- text message. It was from Kevin.

 _Hate to tell u, but Z just blew up ur Twitter with shade._


	19. Chapter 18

**Welcome back, friends! So happy to see that I have gained a few new readers. For those that have asked, yes, it will probs eventually turn into an established Seth/AJ story. I'm really trying to make Seth work for the girl, even though he doesn't know he wants her yet...lol. And I write Zahra exactly as I envision her to be; nasty, rude, and prying...so that's why she hasn't completely fallen off the face of the earth yet. Just another roadblock for our two favorites, don't ya think?  
**

 **As always, I love to read your reviews. Don't forget, even as a guest, you're welcome to let me know what ya think! And, I've been toying with the idea of updating my other stories...so holla if you are interested, right now I just focus on this one. I 'spose I could get into the groove of writing some more.**

* * *

"AJ, we really gotta talk about those sweats," Seth slid into the guest bed with her, where she half-watched Aqua Teen Hunger Force. She had nearly been asleep, so the sudden weight shifting on the mattress nearly made her jump out of her skin. He pulled at the pant leg that read AMBROSE down the side, and she swatted his hand away, still startled that he was _thisclose_ to her.

And, after the weird way he ditched out on her just a few hours ago.

"Yeah, well, they haven't come up with a new design for myself yet...and these were free," she said sleepily, stretching her arms over her head before turning on her side to look at Seth. He was watching her intently, his eyes locked on hers as though he was anticipating her to look his way. She kind of liked the warmth he was emitting, so she scooted closer to him, close enough to smell him...she thought for a second about wrapping an arm around his shoulder, but it would likely be awkward, and her other arm would fall asleep. So, she tucked her head under his chin, and they lay that way for awhile.

"What are we doing, AJ?"

Her heart took a large leap, hoping he didn't mean what she thought he meant. She pulled back to look at him, not wanting to ruin the comfort she'd fallen into but also not wanting to annoy him.

"You tell me."

Seth opened his mouth to say something, his eyes dark and mysterious. She thought he would have an angry expression etched into his facial features, but she was greeted with a look of...solitude and admiration, perhaps.

AJ almost thought he was going to admit that this thing that they had going on with each other was actually much more, much deeper than they wanted to admit. Instead of words, however, was his cell phone, loudly singing just in time to ruin the moment.

He apologized quickly, pulling it from his pocket. This was another downside to the business-business calls happened often, and when you least expected them to. It often ruined plans and moments like these; something that Punk used to complain about quite often before she'd hung up her strapped Converse boots. But unfortunately, if you missed a call from one of the officers, you had plenty of grounds for being terminated.

So, Seth answered his phone. He was clearly frustrated, his teeth gritted as he answered quickly.

"Joey, what the fuck do you want?"

AJ sighed, swinging her legs around to the side of the bed before touching the cool, bare floor. Seth was in quick conversation, animatedly talking to, she presumed, Joey Mercury. Opting to find something more interesting to do, she grabbed a change of real clothes and pittered her way to the bathroom, deciding a shower might do her some good. Relax her a little bit. That was why she was here, wasn't it? At least in some way?

 _And to hang out with Seth,_ that annoying voice in the back of her head snickered. Okay, so that was true. But there was plenty of time for that.

Letting the hot water slap against her head, she turned over the question a million times in her mind. What _were_ they doing? It felt like they could be...maybe...but the idea of falling for someone who had such similar characteristics was absolutely frightening. And Seth...he was so hot and cold with her, she could never figure out the way he felt about anything.

She grabbed the basic body wash that was stocked in the guest bedroom, using it in lieu of the normal pear apple she had left at home in Chicago. She bitterly wondered if Amy used it, or if she'd just tossed it in the garbage when she started moving her own shit in. Trying to block the anger out of her mind, she focused on lathering, allowing herself to take all the time in the world to lather up.

* * *

"Yeah, Joey, Kevin already shot me a text. No, I don't really want to look...I...yeah, I know that she wants to take me down with her, but that's not gonna happen...listen, just give our moderators a call to send a tweet on my behalf, I'm kind of busy here. You know, even the champion gets a few days off."

Seth was growing more and more irritated with his friend and on-screen sidekick. One of the social media moderators that WWE used had called Joey in a blaze of fury, demanding to know if he had to perform some more damage control on Seth's behalf. Seth normally didn't answer the tech geek's calls, as normally they were just confirmation of his whereabouts. Since the whole thing with Zahra and Leighla had gone awry and _everyone_ saw him in the flesh, Seth stepped away largely from any type of tweeting or Instagramming or Snapchatting.

Now, he just paid the guy to do most the dirty work for him. Unless he felt the need to say something himself, he kept quiet more often than not.

And now, it appeared, that Zahra had caught wind of him moving on with his life. Although Joey said she never once accused him of cheating or anything like that, she was working hard to slander his name through social media. He considered getting one of WWE's lawyers involved, but also knew that as demonic and psychotic as she was, she still had been working hard to get her career going. Having a lawsuit wouldn't be the best way for her to begin a new chapter of her life, and Seth had more of a heart than that.

Though she _had_ made a remark to a fan that was coming to Seth's aid, stating that she believed he was seeing someone else in the company. She didn't name any names, so it was fair to think that though she suspected it, she hadn't been told who. Seth kind of hoped it stayed that way. Not only did AJ not need the crazy bitch blowing up _her_ pages, he really didn't want her to ruin things for him, either. But his biggest goal was to protect AJ.

And maybe that meant they had to stop doing whatever it was they were doing...

A signal beeped into his ear, letting him know he had someone else trying to give him a call. Glancing at his phone, it was the moderator. What was his name again, anyway? Steve? Sven? Eh, it didn't really matter.

"Actually, the moderator is trying to get through now. I bet he's about having a heart attack so, Joey, I'm gonna take this to him. Hopefully he can figure out a respectable solution to make her shut her goddamn mouth."

"Thank God you're gonna answer him. I hate it when he comes to me if you don't answer," Joey said sarcastically. Seth rolled his eyes, knowing that that happened pretty much all the time, but not really giving a single fuck.

"Yep," Seth answered, and the raspy voice came through in a quick rush of panic.

"Seth, it's Samuel," said the dork. _Samuel, Steve...close enough._

"I figured. Just got off the phone with Joey."

"Yeah, I just wanted to see if you wanted to respond to these defaming tweets from former NXT diva, Zahra, or place the opportunity over to my team."

Seth smirked at the man's words. He was beyond professional. Even though this dude probably knew every nitty gritty detail of his life, he never once made his own thoughts and opinions known. He didn't even acknowledge that Zahra was Seth's former girlfriend, or bed buddy. Just a former diva. Seth decided from now on, he was going to be nicer to this Samuel guy.

"So that's cool if you want to tweet on my behalf, but I know what I'd like it to say," Seth ran his hand through his hair, pieces of blond still hanging around his shoulders.

"Okay, as long as it follows the basic guidelines," Samuel agreed.

"I don't need you to say anything directly to her. People will speculate anyways, so let's just go very generic. 'Don't get mad. Don't get even. Just do better, much better. Become so engulfed in your own success that you forget it ever happened.'"

He heard the guy typing quickly, which meant that he had approved it.

"Awesome. Good words, Seth," he said. "Thank you for answering the phone."

"No problem. It's the least I can do after all the...past stuff. You know. I just hope this silences Zahra for awhile."

"If not, we might have to get others involved," Sam warned. He meant the WWE lawyers.

"Yeah, well, hopefully she fucks off. If she knows what's good for her, she will," Seth said matter-of-factly. Even though Sam was ever the professional and didn't make a remark or comment, Seth knew that he agreed with him. Bidding the moderator a quick goodbye, he wanted to focus his attention back on the woman that was apparently taking a shower just a few steps from where he stood.

 _But you need to keep her safe. Away from Zahra's wrath. And that means you can't have her._

God, feelings were such a horrible thing.

* * *

"I'm going shopping," AJ announced, standing in the doorway of the living space. She wore black jeans, a long gray cardigan over a striped tank top, and her thick-rimmed glasses. Seth would never admit it out loud, but this woman could wear a garbage bag and it'd still turn him on. She was beautiful, and she didn't even have to try.

"What for?"

AJ looked down at her clothes. "Well, to be honest, I don't have a lot to choose from. I left a lot behind...and I am getting kind of sick of doing laundry," she sheepishly admitted. "Don't get me wrong, I loathe shopping to the highest levels. But I need a few things. Also, I am running low on deodorant, and the body wash you have in the bathroom sucks."

Seth laughed, shaking his head before getting up from his spot on the black leather sofa. "How are you getting there?"

Tossing her hair, AJ gave him a million-dollar smile. "Well, I could take the bus. The routes are all online."

"Good try, but you'd have to walk about three miles to get to the nearest bus stop."

"I could do three miles," she said, very seriously.

"I know you could, but it's not a brilliant idea."

"Well, you have like, six cars in the garage. Care to take me to the nearest shopping center?"

 _A mall? With people? Who would take pictures of them?_

He must've been biting his lip, because she gave him an inqusitive look.

"I just worry about people snapping pictures of us," he said. "I don't want any more problems than I've already created."

AJ shrugged. "So what if people do? Let 'em speculate. I don't want to put my life on hold because someone's feelings might get hurt that I'm hanging out with someone who has different parts than I do."

Seth laughed, her approach somewhat comforting. Though he really didn't want to see her dragged into any mess, she had a good point. Why put their own lives on hold so nobody's feelings got hurt? As far as he knew, Leighla didn't care about Seth's feelings when she'd leaked his private photos. And clearly, Zahra didn't care about his feelings. Same would be said on AJ's behalf. So why try to hide them hanging out? Speculation or not, they were simply friends. And people would learn to accept it sooner or later.

Right?

"Fine," Seth agreed. "As long as we aren't going a thousand places. And I'm not helping you pick out clothes."

"Not even new underwear?" AJ batted her long lashes at the man, who nearly spat out the water he'd just taken a sip from. "I'm just kidding! Cool your jets, buddy," she gave him a playful punch. Though he couldn't help but wonder exactly what she had hiding under her denim...

 _Knock it off. We're only friends._

* * *

Paige rolled her eyes as she read the moderated Twitter post from Rollins' account. Go figure he'd be involved in some new drama with that crazy, untalented pile of garbage. This was exactly why she didn't want AJ to get involved with him.

Even while she was helping out in NXT, Paige never liked Zahra Schreiber. In addition to being very mediocre in the ring, there simply wasn't much to like about her. She was catty, rude, and clearly there to hook up with the guys. She trapped Seth quickly with her exotic, sultry looks and smooth talking. Probably didn't hurt that she wasn't quiet about putting out, if it meant there might be something in it for her.

Closing out of the Twitter application of her phone, Paige began to read an article about Bret Hart on one of her favorite gossip and rumor sites, Ringside News. Looking at the words but not actually reading, her eyes wandered to an article that was posted today. It was a picture of Seth Rollins, a giant smile on his face, looking to the side. The caption read, _Love Bites?_

Giving in to her curiosity, Paige tapped her finger on the link. Ooh, this looked like it was going to be juicy.

 _WWE Champion Seth Rollins sure has had a hard time when it comes to his love life._

 _While it's obvious that he has managed to be successful in capturing and defending the heavyweight belt, he seems to run into roadblocks and crash courses alike with his girlfriends. Following his very public social media scandal, former fiancee Leighla Schultz revealed that despite trying to work out their problems, they broke off their engagement. Schultz revealed that, to her knowledge, Rollins was now in a relationship with NXT rookie, Zahra Schreiber. The very same woman he had an alleged affair with._

 _However, it has been confirmed today that there is serious bad blood between Rollins and Schreiber, leading our team to believe that without a doubt, they have ended their short, strange relationship. Click to the Twitter link to see the tensions flare up between these two former lovers.  
_

 _Rollins has been very camera-shy for a few months now, being careful where he goes. However, a fan submitted photo from early this afternoon gives insight into exactly what-or who-Seth has been spending all of his time on._

 _Though we're not entirely sure of the hooded female accompanying him to the shopping center, it has been suggested that the anonymous woman may be AJ Lee, who divorced former WWE superstar, Phil "CM Punk" Brooks, a few months ago._

Paige's jaw literally dropped. That wasn't AJ, was it? No. Not with Rollins. It couldn't be-she said she was heading home...

But as she looked at the grainy, cell-phone photo, she saw a bogus-ass smile on Seth's face as he had his hand on the lower back of a woman's black jacket. Beneath it was the hem of a gray sweater. The woman wore her black hood up over her head, keeping her face down and away from the camera.

Almost passing it off as another one of Seth's playthings, her eyes zoomed in on the visible front pocket of the woman's black denim jeans. A tiny, embroidered bird was on the coin pocket, the logo of the company Hollister.

Which was basically the only kind of jeans AJ wore. Ever.

Her heart sank. This poor girl was setting herself up for heartbreak! Annoyed that her friend was with this dude and not with her family and even more annoyed that she lied about it, Paige called her immediately. For fuck's sake! Even if it wasn't a "confirmed" photo of the diva, the article still namedropped her like assholes.

That meant that in just a few hours, AJ would be the target for this wackjob of a woman, Zahra. And by the way she sank her claws into Rollins was proof that she'd do anything to rip AJ to shreds, too...

 _"Hey, this AJ! Sorry I'm not able to get your call. Feel free to leave a message!"_

Rolling her eyes as she heard AJ's chipper voice, she cleared her throat when the tone sounded to leave a voicemail.

"My darling crumpet. It's really too bad that you aren't answering your calls...I mean, after all, I know you're awfully busy there in Jersey. But hey, funny thing happened today. I just came across this great picture online of Seth Rollins while he was out and about in Iowa...even funnier, he was with some girl. The funniest part? He was with you! So, I've got to know how you were able to be in two places at once. Because I know you wouldn't lie to the Freak to your Geek. Call me back and explain yourself, or I'm probably going to whoop your ass."

Hanging up her phone, she decided she _had_ to put an end to this. So, she sent Kevin Owens a quick text, asking him why her friend was out shopping with his shady friend.

Because like hell if she was gonna have to mop up any more tears.

* * *

"Thank you for taking me out for some stuff, Seth," AJ gave the man a quick, awkward hug as they re-entered his home. "It was really nice to spend time not working or sleeping. Plus, shopping with you wasn't half bad."

Seth smirked. "I'm glad we went, too. I'm really sorry for being worried about other people and all...you know, seeing us together. Worrying about what they might think and all."

"Seth," she put her hands on her hips, "I don't need to explain what we are, to anyone. And neither do you."

"I just don't want you to get caught in crossfire. I don't want to see you get hurt."

AJ clicked her tongue. "The best way to _not_ get your feelings hurt is to not have any."

Seth grew quiet. So quiet, in fact, that she could hear the fan whirring in the other room. She knew she had struck a nerve with him. But what did it matter? She tried to tell him how she felt weeks ago, while staying in a hotel room with Bayley and Carmella. Seth had played it off like the stupid idiot that he was, and made it very clear that the feelings weren't mutual.

"I see," Seth said finally.

"I've gotta go check my phone," she said slyly, now realizing his feelings were hurt. _Well, it served him right. Seth Rollins was more than used to having women swoon at his feet...so that was probably why he was acting so strangely. Because for once, one of them refused to do it._

She left Seth standing as she fled to grab her phone, which she'd left laying on the guest bed by accident. She silently prayed that she didn't have any missed calls from the boss...after all, that would land her into more trouble.

Instead, she had a text message from Finn, which made her heart do a flip, and a missed call from Paige...who had left a voicemail? That was unusual for the raven-haired diva. Quickly dialing her numerical passcode, AJ heard something quite disheartening-she was busted.

Her little shopping trip was already made public, and her closest friend had caught wind of it.

And Paige was bitter.


	20. Chapter 19

**Welcome back to Yours to Hold, friends! Hope you're anticipating this one as much as I am.  
**

 **As always, I love to read your reviews. Don't forget, even as a guest, you're welcome to let me know what ya think! And, I've been toying with the idea of updating my other stories...so holla if you are interested, right now I just focus on this one. I 'spose I could get into the groove of writing some more.**

* * *

AJ's heart pounded while she waited for her dear friend to pick up the phone.

Okay, so she'd lied to Paige about her whereabouts. But why did it honestly matter? Paige was still young and immature...she probably didn't understand that the only thing on AJ's mind was to disappear off from the radar for a little while, especially after that totally random text message she'd gotten from Phil after the show the other night. She just wanted to spend time with someone who wasn't going to probe her for answers, who didn't bring up the shitty stuff she hated talking about...

"Speak," snapped a voice on the other end. It was Paige, and she was emitting the saltiness that she'd given off in the voice message she'd left behind.

"Hey, it's me, returning your call so that I don't get my ass kicked," AJ said hurriedly.

"Oh, the one that's all of a sudden besties with Seth Rollins?" Paige mocked. "I don't know what I dislike more. The fact that you're hanging out with him, the fact that you're not hanging out with a decent dude, or the fact that you lied about it."

"Plans kind of changed last second...and I lost a bet," AJ said, realizing quickly how dumb she sounded. "Seth isn't that bad of a guy, P. I'm not looking to get cozy with anyone so soon after Phil and I-"

"Looked awfully cozy in those pictures," Paige cut her off. "You know, so many people thought maybe it was you in that photograph. You did an awfully great job of keeping your face hidden, while dumbfuck Seth has this half-assed, lazy grin on his face. Like he has what he wants. You know what, though? Your closest friend-that would be me-at least, I thought-knew immediately that the little crumpet that his hands were all over _was_ you. Even though I hoped like an idiot that I was wrong."

"We are _friends_ , Paige. Seriously, that's it."

"I don't think so, AJ. You and Phil have been divorced for awhile now, and he's obviously moved on. I think you're going to try, too. And here I was hoping that you were going to start batting your eyelashes Finn's way. At least he'd a nice guy that doesn't play with women's emotions and hearts!"

"I'm not sure how I feel about Finn," AJ said slowly. Yeah, she liked him. He sure was good to look at. But when she thought back to the dinner they'd had together, she didn't feel the feels she hoped to. Not like she felt when she was with Seth.

"Well you'd better figure it out, because by the looks of it, you're playing both him and Rollins," Paige remarked.

"I am not!"

"Yeah, you kind of are. You're sort of stringing them both along, and I expected better from you!"

"Okay. I'm sorry that I am here in Iowa. But for real, what is the issue with Seth? You hardly even know him."

Paige let out a single laugh, sort of mocking the statement.

"I don't know him? Babe, we were in NXT together, remember? And I might not now him in the same personal way that others do, but I know the womanizer that he is. I know that while he was letting his pretty little girlfriend plan their wedding back home, he was boning Zahra Schreiber. I also know that he made a pass at Jojo, when she was barely eighteen! You think that I don't know a damn thing about this guy, but I've heard plenty of stories. And every single woman that Seth has come into contact with winds up with a broken heart. Do you know who that sounds like?"

"I could take a guess," AJ said dully. She knew where her friend was going with this.

"Seth Rollins is a younger version of Phil. Straight-up, hands down, no questions asked. How many divas and shit did Phil date, make passes at, hop into the sack with...whatever? An awful lot. It's pretty safe to say that he's got plenty of notches on his bedpost, and I'm willing to bet that Seth's comparable."

"I don't know. Maybe," AJ said, trying to deflect the statements. She was feeling worse and worse about this whole endeavor, and she knew, deep down, that maybe Paige was right.

"Trust me, AJ. Maybe you don't think you want to be with a guy like Finn Balor, but it would do you some good. For once, date a nice guy that isn't just down to get this undisputed future asshole, you're wasting your time."

"I really just came here to fall off the face of the earth for awhile. It doesn't mean I'm trying to date Seth," she said quietly. "But not that you'd believe that, or even listen to it, for that matter. I'm sorry that I'm here, and not where I should be...but it's nice to be here. For the most part, Seth leaves me to myself. It's a hell of a lot better here than a dingy hotel room."

"Well, if he tries anything funny on you, you'd better give him a Shining Wizard straight to the skull. And let me know about it, so I can kick his ass like I know that I can."

"Don't worry, nothing funny's going on."

"We'll see."

Instead of Arguing with the younger diva, AJ gave up. She was exhausted, not wanting to explain herself anymore. She _had_ had a great time with Seth today. And she very much enjoyed his company, even though she'd never in a million years admit that to Paige. He had a bad, playboy reputation, and everyone knew that. Only fools fell for Seth's games.

Was she falling for him? She bit her lip, falling back on the bed in frustration. The last thing she wanted was to hurt anyone, especially Finn, who was the good guy. She didn't want to disappoint Paige, who had been nothing but fantastic to her since the first day she'd returned to the WWE roster...but to disappear from Seth's life all over again? That didn't sound like a good idea, either...

She knew she was being melodramatic. The best things get ruined before ever beginning because of this thought process: People tend to overthink. Fantasize. Question. Imagine. Worry. Rather than let things evolve naturally.

Taking a deep breath, AJ decided to play it cool. If there were feelings there that needed to be acknowledged, she was certain that she'd be able to tell. But for now, she'd play it safe. She didn't want to get hurt, of course; but she didn't want to let opportunity pass her by, either.

* * *

 _No fucking way.  
_

 _Fucking Seth was seeing some other bitch!_

Zahra Schreiber scrolled through her phone while she waited alongside a billion other women, hoping to get cast as a model for a new online entertainment website. Unfortunately, they'd opted to go alphabetically for the audition, which meant she'd be sitting for quite awhile. It gave her plenty of time to go through every gossip site she knew, though, and she bumped into a very damning photo of her former beau with his hand protectively on the small of some other woman's back.

She didn't recognize the woman, and clicked the photo, hoping it'd take her to an article. Skimming through the shoddy journalism, this particular website didn't name any names, nor did it give any hints at who the mysterious woman with her hood up might be. She was really tiny, which made some of the fans commenting at the bottom wonder if it was a young child. That didn't make any sense, though. Others guessed it was the petite Alexa Bliss, but again, that was put to rest: Alexa Bliss had much more junk in her trunk than this woman.

One comment caught her eye, though, and it made her wonder...

 ** _Guys, be real. It's obv AJ Lee!_**

Zahra wondered about this possibility. Wasn't AJ kind of old for Seth? She supposed not really. But last she knew, AJ had disappeared from the face of the earth to go save puppies and have sex with that arrogant bastard that she'd married. How had she'd managed to capture Seth's eye, anyway? If it _was_ AJ, it was much different than any of the girls that Seth had given attention to before. She was...strange. And not really that cute, either.

Being the evil bitch that she was deep down, she decided to reblog the photograph to her own Twitter account. After all, earlier today, Seth had burned her publicly by basically telling her that he was better than she was.

She tweeted the photo, captioning it with _**See that you've downgraded. LMAO**_

Once the photo had uploaded, Zahra sat with a smug smile on her mouth. She felt like she could do anything; like she ruled the world. Not only did she take a direct stab at Seth's new girlfriend, she made it clear to him that she, Zahra, was without a doubt the best he'd ever get. And oh, this was just the start; Seth was going to be shamed.

* * *

"AJ? Did you fall asleep?" Seth poked his head into the bedroom that AJ had run up to almost a whole hour ago. When she wasn't there, he grew nervous. He hadn't seen her leave, and she didn't exactly have any means of transportation.

He looked towards the nightstand, thinking maybe he'd missed her come down the stairs and she'd stepped out. There, he found a tiny piece of ripped paper, knowingly picking up the loopy-written penmanship between his thumb and index finger. He looked down at a scribbled note- ** _Seth, gone for a run. See you in a bit. -AJ_**

Taking a deep breath, he was glad that she hadn't decided to run away from him. He hadn't scared her off yet, even though things between them were kind of fuzzy right now. He hated to admit it, but it was without a doubt true: He had completely fallen for the Black Widow. There was something about her that made him want to be a better person, that made him feel comfortable with himself. For the first time ever, he felt like he could be himself. The only thing, he knew, was that she had been severely damaged in her last relationship. But then, wasn't everyone damaged in some way? He wondered if maybe he could fix the broken parts that she tried to hide.

His ears perked up when the front door banged open, and he heard AJ curse when it smacked too loudly into the interior wall. He stayed seated on her bed while she made her way up the stairs, listening intently to each step she took. When she finally made her way into the room, she stopped mid-stride, as if she was shocked that he was waiting for her.

"Ummm...hi?" she gave a confused eyebrow raise. "You're in my room."

Seth smirked. "You're in my house," he said pointedly. "I didn't hear you leave."

"I snuck out," AJ shrugged, kicking off her running shoes. Seth couldn't help but let his eyes linger on her ridiculous ab muscles. Though she was just as flat-chested as Brie Bella, AJ certainly didn't lack anywhere else. Small, fierce, and muscular...yet still womanly. His boy brain wandered to an image of their bare skin sliding against one another, and he had to push that thought quickly out of his mind so that he didn't get turned on.

"Well, I worried for a second," Seth admitted. "Did you want to stay in tonight? Have a few beers or something?"

AJ looked at him with her eyebrow still raised. "I don't do beer, Rollins. Try again."

"Pepsi?" he bit his tongue immediately, knowing he'd fucked up. CM Punk lived off from Pepsi, crediting it his favorite drink in numerous interviews. But, if AJ was thrown off by that, she didn't let it be known. She just shook her head.

"I'm kind of feeling like a good margarita or two," she decided quickly. "I can whip up some taco dip, and we can watch Nacho Libre with Jack Black."

Seth laughed, admitting that he'd never actually seen that goonish movie. And admitting that he loathed Jack Black. AJ acted offended, but promised him it'd be great-if he hated it, they could turn it off.

"I'm gonna jump into the shower, because I _smell_ like Jack Black right now," she said sheepishly. "I'll meet you downstairs, if you want to get some margaritas made for my triumphant return."

"Of course," Seth got up from the spot on her bed, wishing that he could shower with her. She had, after all, gotten some new body wash-wouldn't that be amazing to lather up those bubbles on her little body?

"See you in a bit," she winked, purposely quoting her own handwritten letter.

* * *

Three margaritas and half a bowl of taco dip later, AJ had a really good buzz going.

Even though they'd been largely ignoring the horrible movie she'd picked, Seth and AJ had a great time, enjoying each other's company and laughing. She felt good, relaxed, and felt that she'd made a good choice in coming to Seth's home. Paige be damned!

"So, how come my friend Paige doesn't like you?" she asked, shoving one more chip into her mouth. She was stuffed, but good God, she made some good dip.

Seth shook his head, taking a sip of his drink. "I'm not really sure. I think it's mostly based off from things she's heard about me. I've never once said that I'm a good guy, because I know that I'm not...I mean, I've screwed up so many good things in my life. And I feel badly for the way things went. But I'm learning to get through it."

"I still think you can be a good guy," AJ said quietly, not looking at the superstar. Yeah, she was buzzing _hard._ She could feel the liquid courage climbing, and she was going to get to Seth's deepest, darkest secrets tonight.

"I know I can be," Seth agreed, "I just tend to do the hurting before I get hurt. Things aren't peaches and cream for me, you know. WWE aside, my family is a mess in itself."

"Mine is, too," AJ told him. "But I love them regardless."

"I do, too. But I just feel like I'm constantly disappointing my mom. My brother...well, he's doing great for himself, but he's such a douchebag sometimes. He likes to remind me of my own fuck-ups all the time, so that the focus is off from him."

"What do you mean, off from him?"

"I mean, he's probably going to go pro in some way, too. The guy's a tank. But he's a complete moron. Can't hold an intelligent conversation, doesn't know the difference between you're and your...all he's got going for him is that he's got a good shot at being an athlete."

"And what about your dad?" AJ asked, her eyes focusing on Seth's.

Seth's body stiffened, and it was clear that she'd struck a nerve-he became uncomfortable, very quickly.

"My dad-he-well, I mean..."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry-"

"It's okay. I'm sorry. My dad is in the hospital. He's got leukemia."

AJ's face fell, and she quickly enveloped her friend in a hug. Though she'd never been affected by such a disease, she knew quite well the damages it did in people's lives and their families lives. She had, in fact, spent many days off with Make-A-Wish kids, and she knew terminal illness was on the rise.

"I'm so sorry, Seth," she whispered. "I had no idea."

Seth pulled back, breaking her hug. "It's okay. Really. For the most part, I think we've all accepted that the end is near. My mom-she has a hard time seeing him anymore. She's disappointed in me, you know, for ruining things with Leighla. She likes to remind me that because of the way that turned out, pops will never be able to see me get married before he passes. And I hate feeling like I'm being guilted."

"Seth, that's awful!" She enclosed her arms around him again. It kind of made sense, now, why he was so angry, so manipulative. Why he did his best to push away everyone and anyone that cared about him.

"I hate myself for ruining everything," he said, and AJ could tell he was a little drunk, too. "But why should I be unhappy for the rest of my life just so that my dad is able to see pretend happiness for the rest of his?"

"You didn't ruin everything," AJ said quietly, her head nestled on to his neck.

Seth looked at her, dumbfounded. "How can you say that? You've firsthand witnessed someone screwing you over, cheating on you, and humiliating you."

AJ gave a slow, sad smile. "I know. But you know what? I decided I didn't want to carry around those weights anymore. So I took 'em off. Sometimes, we need to forget what we feel and remember what we deserve. I didn't deserve any of what Punk put me through. And even though it's still hard to see he's moved on so quickly while I'm still picking up the pieces, I know that he's going to be looking for me in every single person he meets. Except, he won't find me."

Seth stroked her hair with his thumb, a deep look crossing his face. If she didn't know better, she'd think he was going to kiss her...

"You hardly ever talk about your relationship with him anymore," Seth said smoothly, getting up to refill his margarita glass. He snatched her empty one off the coffee table so that she, too, could get a last taste of the smooth Solana tequila that they'd nearly polished off.

"Because I don't want to be affected by him anymore. I let him bother me a million miles away. Who cares what he's doing, right?"

"Right," Seth agreed, dropping a handful of ice cubes into each of their glasses.

"You know, the funny thing is, though, that everyone acts like I don't know a damn thing. As soon as I walk into a room, they hush up. Like they don't know how to act when I'm around...and that's why I like you. You don't treat me differently. And you don't usually bring up that asshole. And I'm sure you, just like everyone else, knows the whole story when it comes to mine and Phil's deteriorated relationship."

Seth raised his glass in a toast, handing hers as he took his seat back down on the couch. "I know what Twitter says," he told her. "I'd rather know the truth."

Taking a quick sip, AJ clicked her tongue. "It pretty much is the truth, sadly. Pathetic how everything is documented by social media, and TMZ, and Bleacher Report...I miss having a quiet, content life."

"I know that feeling. Well, then let's hear it from your point of view."

Taking a long, drawn out breath, she looked at her chipped black fingernail polish. "I don't know where to start, really. Besides the fact that he'd been acting strangely. We were happily married. For awhile. And then, things changed really quickly..."

"It's no secret that I caught him cheating on me with Amy. Lita, if you will. I suspected it, of course, but I never wanted to believe it. It's something I never thought he'd be capable of doing to me, especially not with her. My childhood hero. So very fucked up."

"That it is. But didn't they date before?"

"Yeah, a few times. It ended kind of bad the last time, too, so I was actually surprised that it was her. I suspected Maria Kanellis, to be honest. Either way, I figured it out really fast. And as soon as I did, I moved out while he was busy training"-she used air quotations-"for UFC. He didn't even try to reach out to me, to find out why I had left. He knew that I already knew. He knew I'd seen everything."

"What was that?"

"I knew back then what everyone knows now. I'd stumbled upon a message from Amy, telling him she had to tell him something that was really, really important. And when I read what it was, my whole life fell apart in seconds."

"What was it?" Seth looked confused.

"You know," she said quietly.

Seth looked down, knowing that she'd caught him. Of course he knew. It was buzzing backstage for literally weeks, and at this point, there was no way he couldn't know.

"I appreciate you not bringing it up to me. Just ignoring it flat out. Some of the divas have been nicer to me since the news broke, but I think it's because they know how shitty it must feel."

"I'm sorry. You didn't deserve any of that," Seth said quietly, now offering a hug of his own.

AJ wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye. "It's hard to be the bigger person when it comes to something like this. But it was a lot harder to find out that, while Phil and I should've been talking about having a family of our own, he was busy creating one with someone else."

Seth's breath got caught in his throat. He had to give this girl props, living her life day after day, pretending she wasn't bothered by Amy and Phil's posts about each other on their social media accounts. Pretended she couldn't care less when the news broke that yes, indeed, Amy Dumas was pregnant with Punk's baby.

Acted like she wasn't upset that this baby was a product of Phil's infidelity, the final nail in the coffin to their relationship.

"I'm sorry that he ruined everything," Seth murmured into her ear, smelling an exotic mixture of her new body wash and alcohol. In a strange way, it was kind of hot-but it was certainly not the moment to act on any impulses he might have.

AJ pulled away once again, wiping stray tears from her face. She gave a fairly bright smile, given the situation, and folded her hands over the stem of her drinkware.

"He didn't ruin everything," she said, looking up at him with those beautiful dark eyes. Seth put his free hand on her cheek, caressing it lightly...her lips were slightly parted, as though she wanted him to-

His phone began to ring.

 _Jesus Fucking Christ!_

His stomach fell when he read who it was on the other line.

Leighla.

"I'm so sorry, AJ," he brushed her cheek lightly with his fingertips, and she gave a small smile.

"I understand. I live it, too," she said, faux cheerfully.

He stood up, severely pissed off that, once again, his damn cell phone ruined the mood with this girl.

"I'm going to go lay down," he heard her say, and he pressed the 'Answer' button on his phone.

* * *

 ***goes into hiding, until next time***


	21. Chapter 20

**Welcome back to Yours to Hold, friends! Hope you're anticipating this one as much as I am.  
**

 **As always, I love to read your reviews. I've got a new Paige story up, for now...we'll see...it's called So Darkness I Became. If you like my writings, promptly direct your attentions that-away. :)  
**

* * *

Seth listened intently as he heard AJ creep up the stairs, letting his guard down just a little when he'd heard the guest bedroom door close. The last thing he wanted was for AJ to hear anything that might upset her, especially after she'd opened up to him so much about her relationship with Punk.

Seth, of course, wished he could ignore the fact that his own ex was ringing him at nearly midnight...but, he had to admit, sometimes he wished things were different-or maybe, still the same-as they'd always been as far as Leighla was concerned. And the more he caught himself falling for the tiny little Black Widow, the more he felt like he was betraying his ex-fiancee.

"Lay," he cooed into the phone, not realizing he'd called her by a pet name he'd given her during the course of their relationship.

"Hey, Seth," she seemed awfully chipper, though ignoring the fact that he'd called her by her nickname. "I'm sorry for calling so late. I know you're probably busy, but I-"

"Never too busy for you," he said, letting the alcohol soak in. _What in the hell?_

"Cute, Seth. Very cute," she seemed annoyed. "I just wanted to let you know that your mom called me earlier, and I talked to her briefly. She told me how your dad was doing, all that...I'm so sorry your family is going through this." Leighla's tone changed to a more sympathetic one quickly, and Seth imagined the way her eyes squinted when she was being serious, when she knew that Seth was bothered by something...what he wouldn't give just to see that look on her face in person right now...

 _But wait-you were_ _just getting cozy with AJ!_ he scolded himself, feeling like the 'player' that he had been portrayed as for the last year. While it was true, deep down he felt something for the woman who was just upstairs, he couldn't ignore the butterflies Leighla triggered just by using her voice...

"Thanks," he replied, trying to let his buzzed brain sort out what she was saying. What was the purpose of her call, again? He felt torn, unsure of where his loyalties lay. But now, it was his turn to feel kind of annoyed. Why was she slithering her way back into his life right now, right when he felt comfortable without her in it anymore?

"I saw your picture on Insta yet again," she slipped into the conversation, and now he knew why she'd called. She wanted answers; who was the mystery woman in these pictures?

"A little less of me than last time, I hope," he joked dryly, knowing it wouldn't sit well with her to bring up the messy end to their relationship. But he also used his words as a cover-the last thing he wanted was for rumors to begin swirling. Nor did he want her to think that he was seeing someone seriously. Just in case.

"Hilarious," she breathed, and he sensed her temper flaring. "No, I noticed that the woman pictured, though hidden so I can only assume a co-worker of yours, didn't have disgusting, nasty tattooed knuckles. So it wasn't Zahra. So many people have asked for my comment, and to be honest, I don't really have one. I'm glad that you're not trapsing around cities with the likes of the awful woman you were cheating on me with, but I called to let you know, truly, Seth, I'm so happy you've moved on."

"I um-" he was about to say that he was with a friend; that he hadn't moved on at all. That he still wanted to make things work between them. He did, didn't he? But instead of any of those words, Leighla talked over him, the words that he didn't want to hear spilling from her lips.

"I'm happy because, as I told your mother earlier, I'm happy to announce that I, too, have moved on. Derek and I are getting married."

Seth felt like his whole world stopped. Any chance of ever rekindling a romance now out the window, he felt...crushed, to say the least. His first love had chosen someone else, and even though he supposed he deserved feeling the way he did right now, he still felt like she'd ripped his heart out. He also now understood what it would've been like for AJ, knowing that her husband- _H_ _USBAND!_ had chosen to boot her from his life for the likes of another person.

Pinching the bridge of his nose as he felt his head swirling from both the alcohol and emotional pain he was feeling, he didn't know what to say, and the words didn't formulate properly anyways. He should apologize for his actions. Congratulate her. Wish her well. But nothing seemed to come to him.

He heard the upstairs floorboards creak, and his ears pricked up like a dog's might. AJ was wandering around upstairs, and she was probably in a similar mindset as he was.

"Seth?" Leighla sounded on the other line, and he'd realized she'd been chattering on. "Did you catch any of that?"

"I...I, yeah, I'm sorry," he apologized quickly.

"So even though at the time, things were so hard for me to work through, I'm happy it all happened. I hope that this girl, whoever she is, is the kind of girl that you need. Someone who makes you a better person, a happier person. Because despite all of our previous issues, Seth, I do wish you the best. And I know that that godawful woman you'd dated last is not going to cut it."

"Seth?" he'd heard AJ call down the stairs, and he felt himself smiling. He had no idea why, but hearing the tiny woman's voice call his name and pull him back to reality made him realize that whatever he had left behind with Leighla needed to stay in the past, no matter how much it hurt to just let it go. Sometimes, holding on to the rope cut the hands up more than if you just let go.

And he needed to let go.

"Lay, I appreciate everything we've been through together. With you, I've had some of the happiest moments of my life. And I'm sorry I couldn't be what you needed. But I am so happy you've found the guy that can give you what I couldn't. Even though my relationship with AJ is very new, she makes me feel...like I've got a purpose again. I've been focused on my career for a long time now, and now I feel like she could be the woman I'd like to focus on other things with," he admitted, knowing that he'd dropped the million-dollar secret. But he could trust Leighla not to say a word. "I've got to go, and it's been good talking to you. I'd like to remain cordial, but for the most part, I see no reason for us to catch up."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Leighla was smiling into her phone, and he could tell. "I'm so glad you said that. I've asked your mom to no longer seek contact-it's just better that way. And I feel so badly to do that, but I can't properly move forward with Derek if I've still got such heavy connections to you and your family. So, you're right...it's better to just leave it all in the past. For good."

"You'll always have a piece of my heart," he murmured quietly. "But I'm glad you've got someone who can give you the whole thing."

And with that, the they said their goodbyes for the final time. How strange it was, he thought, knowing that if she had said she wanted to get back together with him, he might've jumped at the chance. But why? Because she was familiar, someone he'd spent so much of his earlier life with. And AJ...she was something he didn't know how to conquer. She was something new, something scary.

 _And he'd just said he was in a relationship with her...FUCK!_

Suddenly aware that she was waiting upstairs on him, his eyes flitted to the top of the stairs, where her silhouette awaited his. She'd changed into one of his "Don't Sell Out, Buy In" official WWE t-shirts of his, and she was swimming it it. He couldn't tell in the dark, but he didn't think she wore shorts, just panties, underneath the hem. She had her dark hair over her shoulders, looking strangely stunning.

"AJ," he breathed as he held out his arms to her. He gave a silent prayer that she hadn't caught wind of a single sentence he'd spoken to Leighla; hadn't suspected that, for just a moment, he'd re-envisioned what things would be like with his ex. She smirked at him, and he thought for certain she knew; but she walked towards him, letting him bring her close.

"Is everything okay?" she asked quietly. "I didn't catch much, but it really seemed important."

"Of course everything is okay. Why wouldn't it be? I'm here, with you, and I haven't felt so alive in weeks. Months. Hell, maybe even years," he said, burying his face in her dark hair.

"It just seemed like an intense conversation," she stayed put, letting her body mold into his arms. "I didn't want to interrupt, but I just couldn't get comfortable."

"Stay with me tonight," Seth stepped back, looking at her as best he could. Her face was slightly lit from the moonlight cast through the small hallway window, and it took all he had in him not to swoop down and kiss those perfect, heart-shaped lips of hers. He wondered how she tasted; wondered how perfect she was beneath the clothes she wore. True, he'd seen plenty of her from her in-ring attire, but he was curious...

"Seth, come on. I don't know who else has been in that bed," she was getting a little whiny. "Besides...we aren't...we can't..."

"Nobody else has been in my bed," he stated truthfully. Most of his time spent with Zahra had been at her place, and Leighla had never set foot into his home. Sure, he'd had a few others here and there, but only on the road: never, ever would he bring someone he'd just met back here.

AJ looked relieved, eyeing him carefully to detect deception. She must have believed him, as she allowed him to lead her to the main bedroom.

Pulling the duvet back, he found himself watching her sculpted, smooth legs glide over the bedsheets in order to make room for him to lay next to her. She looked so small and alone in the California king-size bed, and he had to mentally remind himself that the only activity that would be happening between them that night would be, sadly, sleeping.

Quickly, he kicked off his pants, so that she didn't see that his manhood had been partially awakened. He hadn't felt the rush of getting into bed with a woman in a long time, and even though he knew that no sexual activity would be occurring, it still wasn't hard to imagine...

Before letting himself fall in next to her, he did sneak a glance at her bottom, shaming himself for it, but happy to realize she wore black panties with a Batman logo screenprinted on the back.

"See something you like?" she joked, a phrase that was all-too familiar to him. He laughed, shaking his head at how forward she was. He'd been caught.

"If I can be truthful, yeah," he admitted shyly, fluffing up his pillow before laying down. She giggled, poking him in the rib before flipping her body towards him. "You should wear a Seth Rollins shirt every day."

"You wish!" she said back, holding back another giggle. "Take a picture, baby, cause it's gonna be the first and last time you see me wearing your crappy merchandise!"

"Don't tempt me," he warned, grabbing his phone from the night table. He wouldn't mind having a cute picture of her to look at when she wasn't around...

"Here, let's take one," she said, scooting closer to him. That surprised him greatly: after all, she'd been nothing but camera shy so far.

"You sure?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You must be really drunk," he teased.

"I'm sure, Seth. I know you're not gonna go sell it to TMZ, because you're not that kind of guy," she put her face close to his as he pulled up the camera, smiling widely as he took the picture. He turned his phone so she could see it, and she agreed that it made the cut.

"God, you're beautiful," he said quietly as he hit the 'save' button on the touch-screen.

"Whatever, I'm nothing compared to Leighla," she said, now turning away from him.

"Leighla? What's she got to do with it?" he could feel himself panicking. So she _had_ heard part of the conversation.

"That's who called, right?" she kept her voice calm, and Seth wasn't sure if she was upset, hurt, or actually didn't care.

"Yeah, it was. She wanted to let me know that she was getting married," he stated. "And it was bittersweet, to be honest. Like, it could've been me that met her at the altar. But in a strange way, it's also liberating."

AJ tossed her hair over her shoulder, not turning to face him again. "I think it's nice that you can still act like respectable adults," she said quietly. "I'm sorry that she's found someone."

"Sorry? Don't be, AJ. That's a great thing. After all the time I'd spent away from her, and after...well, everything else, she deserves to be happy. And to me, it sounds like this new guy could be perfect for her."

"Do you ever worry that you won't find the person who's perfect for you?" she whispered quietly. So quietly, in fact, that he wasn't sure that she'd intended for him to hear it at all.

"No. Not at all," he responded. "I think that everything will happen when it's supposed to."

Now, she turned towards him, putting a hand on his chest. She still faintly smelled of tequila, despite the minty mask of her toothpaste she'd used. "Seth," she said quietly, her eyes slowly beginning to close. She was falling asleep fast, the exhaustion of the day taking its toll.

"Yes, babe?"

Her eyes fluttered open, and he noticed how long her eyelashes were. He'd always wondered, even before being this close to her, if she was the kind of WWE diva who put on those fake things with glue. But now, he could see, her eyelashes were full and real: she didn't need the false ones.

AJ Lee was anything but fake.

"In another life, I could love you," she whispered to the dark, her eyes half-open as she buried her head into the crook of his pectoral muscles.

He watched her shoulders rise and fall. Rise and fall. Over and over. Until her breathing slowly evened out, he kissed the top of her head, slightly pulling away from her and let her sleep peacefully.

"I might love you in this one," he responded, but of course, she was fast asleep.

* * *

Leighla scrolled through her messages, looking for the number that had texted her earlier. Normally, she wouldn't low-ball like this. Normally, she would have just ignored the vile woman and gone on with her happy life.

But unfortunately, she had a huge wedding to plan, and when opportunities for money came knocking, she couldn't exactly look the other way. Sure, she made decent money, and so did Derek. But the amount of money that was being offered to her for any information regarding fucking Seth Rollins was hard to ignore.

TMZ offered her a grand to comment on Seth's newfound relationship. Not enough money, no comment.

Pro Wrestling Insider offered her nearly two grand to comment on what woman was hiding beneath the jacket in the circulating photo of him. Opting to stay away from the wrestling world altogether when she'd publicly shamed Seth's nude pics, she politely declined.

She'd been tweeted the photo. She'd been tagged in comments. She'd been reached out to by tons of different blogs, all hoping to catch her attention. All hoping to get an idea of who it was that Seth was seeing. Again, normally she would have ignored all questions. Seth wasn't much in her life anymore, and she kind of liked it better that way. She preferred living in her own world, far from the speculation. Away from the constant criticizing, the magnifying glasses. The media. But as the day wore on, the bids for her comment became increasingly more and more.

She finally commented on the new relationship on her Twitter, replying to a fan saying she was grateful that he's moved forward, though she wasn't sure who he was now seeing.

Next came the message from someone who instantly made her heart fill up with rage. Zahra Schreiber had messaged her on Twitter.

 ** _$2500 if you can get a name out of him. I want this asshole to go down._**

She ignored her at first. It wasn't her business, anyways.

 _ **You need more? 3000.**_

She almost had her. But why did it matter that much to Zahra? The more she pondered it, the more she understood. Zahra had fallen for Seth, even though their relationship had meant to be solely for sexual purposes. And now that Seth had grown a little, he was more interested in finding the perfect person to spend his life with-not someone to keep his animalistic side company. And while Leighla sometimes wished things had worked out differently between _herself_ and Seth, she had quickly come to realize that, unfortunately, Seth was taken by the WWE, and she needed more than that.

She was certain, once she saw the picture, that it was one of the pretty girls he worked with. She was certain it was the lovable Bayley from NXT at first glance, a woman that Seth had praised for her hard work in the past, which years ago, struck jealousy immediately. Additionally, all Seth did was work: he had no room for meeting people outside of that.

 _ **4000, final offer. I can wire you the money tonite.**_

Slowly, Leighla found herself giving in.

 _ **Why do you want him to go down so badly?**_ She typed back, though she knew the reason.

 _ **He deserves to be miserable.**_ The response was almost instantaneous. She didn't like this answer one bit, knowing that despite all of his flaws, Seth deserved to find someone who made him feel like a whole person.

 _ **One condition: he does not find out about this.**_

There was a long pause between her words and Zahra's, before the reply came rolling in:

 _ **Deal. He will never know. Get a name. Send me your e-mail address, and I'll send it to your PP account.**_

Now, Leighla was unsure if she should go through with this. He'd given her the name-AJ-without hesitation, without thinking. He admitted they were in a new relationship, without second-guessing her motives.

Leighla had normally been a pretty wise woman, despite leaking to the entire world those gross pictures she'd found of Seth and Zahra. She liked to think she was smarter than that, kept her head on straight and worried about her own life and her own problems.

But four grand was a lot of money, and would help a huge amount in her upcoming wedding...not to mention, the amount of pain Seth had put her through a few years ago made this feel like she was getting even. She decided she'd give Zahra the name. What that horrible excuse of a woman did with the name after that was not her problem anymore. What could Zahra really do to this AJ person? She wasn't with the WWE anymore. She couldn't get into the buildings they held their shows at unless she bought a ticket and sat in the crowd. So what was the alternative? Attack her via social media? Big fucking deal. Zahra was outspoken on the internet, but it would calm quickly, because nobody gave a damn about her now that she wasn't tied to to WWE champion.

Still, Leighla felt like a scumbag. She hadn't even pried into his mind to get him to talk...he _trusted_ her with that information.

Knowing she was using poor judgement, she logged into Twitter and went straight to the messages. She sorted through a bunch from fans, more questions about Rollins, a few magazines using Twitter to reach out for fashion and makeup advice...a-ha, she'd found Zahra, noticed she was logged in. She was probably waiting for the response like a cat.

 _ **I** **'ve got the name.**_

As if Zahra actually _was_ staring at her screen, waiting for the green light, she responded back.

 _ **Good. Shoot.**_

Giving a long pause, a guilty sigh, and wishing she wasn't so motivated by this large amount of money, Leighla typed back the response simply and quickly.

 _ **AJ.**_


	22. Chapter 21

**Welcome back to Yours to Hold, friends! The amount of reviews was awesome! You guys are great! Everytime I see a new review, follow, or fave, I get a weird rush. I'm glad to know that you are all on board with this as much as I am. I thank you for that. This chapter is a little shorter, but I promise you, it will deliver.  
**

 **That being said, where is this story headed? We just saw the Seth/AJ fluffy stuff that we all love and adore. We see Seth admit that he may even LOOOOOOVE her, even though she is fast asleep and can't hear a word of this confession.**

 **And we also see Zahra get her catty claws into Leighla, getting her to drop the big secret. Seth and AJ.**

 **So, now what's up for this pair of lovebirds? :)**

* * *

AJ woke first, unsure of where in the hell she was and why she had the mother of all headaches. She was aware of Seth Rollins just next to her, his perfect chest muscles rising with every breath he took. He was cut from the same stone as a Greek god, and she was certain of it as she watched him sleep.

The night she'd had with him, despite the minor altercation from Paige, and later on, from his ex-fiancee, hadn't made her wary in the least. In fact, she was impressed by his handling of Leighla. It was almost as though he was truly and honestly ready to move on. As for Paige...well, she didn't exactly understand her friend's worries. Not really, anyways. It wasn't fair to compare Seth Rollins to former WWE star, CM Punk. Seth was trying everything he could to better himself, it seemed, whereas from what she'd seen but tried her hardest to ignore, Punk's focus was shifted on eliminating any memory of the life he'd shared with AJ. CM Punk had changed; now documenting the silly things he'd made fun of people doing. Amy's cravings? Told all of Twitter. Babyproofing his Chicago home? He allowed a reporter in to speak with him.

And at first, it bothered her to see how much her ex-husband had changed. It had bothered her knowing he'd left their marriage in the dust, to replace her with an ex-girlfriend of his own. But now, the more she thought about it, the more she wasn't letting it consume her. It took her a long time to understand, but now she knew: she wasn't going to let Punk and his massive fuck-up live in the back of her mind forever. She'd always heard the cliche, 'things fall apart so better things can fall together' and all that jazz, but until this very moment, laying next to the current WWE champion in his home...she didn't completely believe it.

But now, she was certain: she wanted to move on, and she wanted to see where this could go. Fuck what the rest of the world thought. Fuck the roster, fuck Leighla, fuck Punk. Fuck 'em.

But... _What about Finn Balor?_ AJ found herself wondering. After all, he'd been nothing but courteous, a true gentleman. The kind of guy that Punk never was, and to be honest, never could be. The exact opposite.

Seth shifted, startling her. She pushed the thoughts of her NXT crush form her mind, pulling her body close to the champion. Molding her body against his to keep the chill that was slowly surging through her body, she knew that what she was about to do might change everything between them, forever.

"Mmm," he stirred again, putting his arm around her half-naked body, and she stroked his fingers as she weaved her own through with her free hand. She was surprised at how smooth his hands were; Punk's, she recalled, were heavily calloused from the weights he had attached himself to during his UFC training. She snuck a peak over her shoulder as Seth opened one eye, and she wondered what time it must've been. It had to have been early; the sun was just beginning to break through the curtains across the room.

"Are you awake?" Seth asked her, his words low. In response, she squeezed her hand, turning slightly towards him once more. "Barely," she whispered. She was so nervous that her stomach was in knots, but she propped herself up on her elbow, looking straight at him. He looked confused, the shaped eyebrows of his knitted together, unsure of what her intention might be.

 _Well, he'll see soon!_

"Are you okay?" he asked, but she shook her head, holding her finger up to his lips.

"Don't," she said quietly. "I just want to see something."

"What?"

And with a sudden rush of courage, she dipped her head down to meet his, giving his soft lips the kiss that she'd been thinking about for...well, awhile now. She could feel him freeze up, unsure of what to do, how to react...but quickly, he allowed himself to melt into her, running his tongue along her lower lip to gain access. She allowed him to explore her mouth with her own; the kiss everything and nothing that she'd ever expected. It was beautiful. It was exotic. It was sweet, and it was sexy.

After a long while, she pulled away from him, a knowing gleam in her eye. She searched his, hoping for the go-ahead.

"Wow," Seth breathed. "I'm up and awake now. What was that for?"

"I think we both know what it was for," she responded quietly. She stroked the hairs on his chin, her eyes searching his again. He held her gaze, his heart pounding against her forearm.

"You...are unbelievable," he said, dipping his head to kiss her once more. Now, the kisses turned into quick, sultry kisses; each one deepening and becoming more needy. He was giving her the go ahead that she was waiting for...and it was now or never.

"Seth...I want you," she muttered against his warm mouth, her cheeks flushing with the admission. An electric-like buzz shot through her body, her woman parts at full-attention to this beautiful man that was pressing his body against hers. She didn't even care that she probably had dragon breath, or that her hair was in tangles. She was certain, in that moment, that what she wanted was to give herself to this man.

She had fallen for him.

"I-are you sure?" he couldn't mask the shock very well, and AJ nodded quickly, pulling off the dorky looking shirt she wore in one swift motion. She wore a plain black bra underneath it, trying not to show that she was insecure about how small her breasts were.

"AJ..." he dipped once more to kiss her awaiting mouth, his warm body now hovered over hers. This turned into a full-blown makeout session, his hands caressing every part of her exposed body. If he thought that any of her body was inadequate, he didn't show it; showing appreciation for her body with each touch. Stoically, he managed to wiggle his hand between her back and the mattress, undoing her black bra and freeing her small chest from the constraint. She could feel his hardened member, the only thing between her body and his the thin material of both of their underwear.

She threw her head back into the soft pillows as he kissed her throat gently, cupping her right breast in his hand as he trailed down her neck to her collarbone, each kiss light and feathery, increasing the want and need that was surging through her body. She was already growing anxious to feel him inside of her, something that she never in a million years would have expected. But the more he kissed her body, the more she realized that she had never felt so at ease with another person in such a way. She was sure that this was right.

"Seth," she murmured, and his eyes met hers almost immediately, a shy smile on his lips. "Don't...don't stop," she was slightly embarrassed, and he gave her a smirk.

"Baby...do you know how beautiful you are?" he asked working his hand in the elastic band of her goofy Batman undies. He wasn't bothered in the least that it wasn't the La Pearla panties that he was almost certainly used to: in fact, he hardly even took notice of her underwear at all. No, he seemed to be more intrigued by what the material was covering. She arched her back nearly immediately when his fingertips brushed her weak point, her body surging at the touch. She wanted him. God, did she want him.

"You might've mentioned it last night," she smiled, allowing him to work her underwear down her thighs. He lightly began stroking the nub of her clit, and she could feel the wetness begin to form where her muscular thighs met. The anticipation was unreal, and she wondered once more what it'd feel like to have him enter her. She didn't know what to expect. Would he wimp out at the last moment? No, she decided. This sexual chemistry was something that had bubbling over for months.

"It's never been more true, though, than in this moment," he bent down to kiss her lips, and, without warning, plunged his index finger in the folds of her skin.

"Seth!" she moaned, suddenly shaken up by the sudden motion. But...she liked it. _A lot._ He used his thumb to keep stroking her clit as he used his other finger, to plunge inside of her, deeper and faster as time began to bore on. He started to get into a rhythm, and he watched her intently as she squrimed at his every touch.

"I...I need you," she urged him, trying to pull him closer. Not that he could get much closer, really.

"I need you to do something for me," he said quietly, his voice almost raspy. She expected him to thrust his penis in her face, demanding a quick blow, which was something that Punk would do often and completely ruin the mood...but that didn't seem the case here. He stopped his motions completely, his hips now positioned between each of her shaky legs. She was so very eager, now, that she might actually come just by the very sight of him, his smooth dick poking through the hole in his boxers.

"What?" she whispered, peaking up at him from underneath her eyelashes, her heart filling with dread. "I'd do anything for you," she said lamely, feeling her cheeks warm yet again. She couldn't believe she'd just said that!

"Good...then hear me out. We don't have to do this, if you're not ready. Or if I'm not what you want. If you think there's a chance for you to go be with someone else...then let me know. Because right now, there's only two things in the entire world that I want."

"What's that?" she asked, the dread beginning to spread throughout the rest of her body. Seth put his hand on her knees, letting his palms slide down the inside of her leg, back towards her eagerness. She calmed at his touch, relishing in the movement.

"The two things? I want you, and I want us. Because I'm sure that I've fallen for you, AJ. I need you to tell me that you feel the same way."

 _Oh!_

"I...of course I feel that way," she looked away, and he moved his hand up her thigh again.

"Look at me, AJ," he said quietly. "I want you to look at me and tell me how you feel."

Suddenly hyper-aware of everything in this moment, his eyes searched hers. He was completely at ease, a lazy grin over his sleepy face. His hair was matted against the side of his cheek, but he still managed to look hot as hell...

"I..." AJ was beginning to choke up. She knew exactly what she felt, but she wasn't sure if now was the time to say it...

"It's alright, AJ. It's me. Spit it out," he caressed her knee, and she swallowed the lump that was beginning to form in her throat.

"I...I love you, Seth Rollins," she admitted, breaking his gaze immediately. As if it was the sentence he was waiting to hear, he kissed the inside of her knee once more, now parting her knees slightly before kicking off the only material between them. She couldn't quite see his size, but she became quickly nervous.

"I never thought you'd admit that to me, much less to yourself," Seth said quietly, taking the tip of himself and brushing it against the folds. AJ felt her body waver in sheer anticipation, the want hitting an all-time high. All he had to do push forward, and her body would let him gain easy access to oblivion.

Instead, he leaned towards her once more, giving her a sweet little kiss. "For what it's worth, AJ...I love you more than I'd ever thought imaginable," he pulled back away, now re-positioning himself once more before giving a quick sigh, a thrust forward, and in one earth-shattering second, he entered her awaiting warmth.

"Oh..." her mouth formed a perfect circle, the emotional moment shaking her bones. She'd never felt such a beautiful experience in all of her existence; and the shocked look Seth wore proved that he hadn't had such a climactic moment in all of his life, either. As if their bodies were meant to be conjoined, he began to push into her, her muscles tightening around his shaft and allowing him to feel every bit of the want her body was exhibiting.

Their naked bodies slid effortlessly against one another, the smooth muscle rubbing and creating a thin layer of sweat. Seth held her knee to steady himself, his shaky body already feeling the shock of how undeniably extraordinary the intimacy between them was. Using her small hips as leverage, he gently worked himself in and out of her, the build-up of the exchange beginning to coil in her tummy. She could feel each movement cause her coil to unwind, the climax in clear view.

Each smooth motion elated her; she watched as Seth bent his head back and a euphoric expression shot across his face as he begin to bite his own lip. There was a bead of sweat that slowly traveled down his temple, and she was certain that in that moment, she was the luckiest woman in the world.

"You feel amazing," she panted, speaking for the first time since he plunged into her.

"I don't even know if 'amazing' is the right word to describe this," he leaned back forward, stroking her long, dark hair as he slowed his pace. "I've never...I don't even know..." his breathing changed again, his face screwing up in extensive pleasure. She knew, with each shift of his hips, he was slowly coming undone as well.

"Fuck," he growled, pulling AJ's hips with him once more, forcing himself deeper into her.

"Oh...Seth!" she exclaimed, her eyes closing as she felt an odd warmth begin to overtake every sensation she had. "I'm...I'm going to-" she dug her fingernails into his smooth, toned shoulders, her body quivering as the rush became too much for her little body. Her whole body trembled beneath his as the coil in her tummy snapped; her orgasm exhausting her straight away.

Giving her an abrupt, hungry kiss, Seth thrust into her once more before his own body became to shudder, a groan escaping his lips before he buried himself as deep as he could for the last time. She could feel him fill her, amazed at how quickly he'd come apart after she had. She watched as he fell beside her, completely dazed.

"That was some first kiss," he said after a long stretch of time.

AJ giggled in response, pulling the heated sheets over her nude body. She wiggled under his arm and lay on his chest, listening to his heart beat in rhythm with her own. He kissed her hair, lamely playing with the long strands as he slowly succumbed to the tiredness once again.

"I love you," he whispered. "I really do. And I don't intend on ever hurting you," he smiled sleepily as she buried herself into the crook of his arm, feeling as though that, again, this was the place that she was always meant to be.

"I know," AJ replied, loving the comfort she felt as he held her. "And I love you. No matter what."

"No matter what," he said back, and with that, sleep overcame them once more.

* * *

Zahra smirked evilly as she searched through every article she could find regarding this AJ woman.

So far, she had enough ammunition to make the poor, homely woman run like a scalded puppy. She was cute, if you were into tomboyish fourteen-year-old looking girls. She just simply did not comprehend the infatuation that Seth seemed to have with her. She was small in all the places that mattered, had only one stupid tattoo, and her hair needed a trim badly. She wore thick-rimmed glasses most the time, and looked as though she'd never stepped foot into a Sephora store once in her life. She often wore those colorful, childish tennis shoes, and probably didn't know Jimmy Choo from Steve Madden.

Ugh!

But that was just the stuff she saw on the outside. The articles that she'd found on the gossip websites were ever so juicy, the kind that, even though you knew existed, you didn't want the wrong person seeing. And Zahra was the wrong person.

 _ **AJ Lee Returns to WWE Programming, Husband Sets Sights on WWE Hall-of-Famer, Lita.**_

 _ **CONFIRMED! CM Punk and AJ Lee No Longer!**_

 _ **AJ Lee Files for Divorce from Phil Brooks.**_

 _ **Former WWE Superstar and Legendary 'Lita' Confirm Relationship!  
**_

Yes, the more research that Zahra did regarding this kiddish woman, the more she had to laugh. Whatever the intrigue, she felt a little better knowing that this AJ Lee's life was a complete wreck. The more she read, the more she disliked her. While many media outlets really spun things in her favor, Zahra couldn't and wouldn't feel any sympathy towards the diva. That's how it was getting into relationships with huge stars, and AJ should've known better.

Then, the goldmine was struck with the next headline:

 _ **CM Punk and Lita: It's a GIRL!**_

 _Holy shit.  
_


	23. Chapter 22

**I know it's been awhile, but I left you all with something that I think is going to shake things up...  
**

 **So we saw Seth & AJ not only reveal that there was indeed more to their story. We saw them both open up about past issues. We saw Seth leave Leighla in the past where she belongs...but now, where is Zahra going with her tidbit of information? And yes, what about Finn Balor? **

* * *

Leighla felt a rock in her stomach when she logged on to Twitter that morning. No, forget that-she felt a boulder.

As much as she believed she was a good person, she hated herself at that very moment. So far, she'd seen that Zahra hadn't taken the namedrop of Seth's new love interest to every gossip website known to man. But she _had_ taken very subtle jabs at the tiny little diva that the rest of the world knew as AJ Lee. It was just a matter of time, now, before some lurking fan saw that AJ was a repeated subject on Zahra's Twitter posts. Then, she'd go balls-out, and blab to the whole world.

But the things she _did_ have posted over the last twelve hours were plain mean. She'd embedded the ever-popular YouTube video of AJ meeting her former idol, Lita, at an autograph session. She'd captioned it, too: _**My, things change, don't they?**_

She'd also posted a link to an article that interviewed CM Punk in the Chicago home, pointing out specifically that the reporter had mentioned _**"Phil 'CM Punk' Brooks is just as radiant as girlfriend, [Amy Dumas]. Clearly fatherhood resonates with him."**_

There were also links to video snippets of AJ Lee making out with John Cena, Kane, Daniel Bryan, Punk, and Dolph Ziggler littered throughout the brutal woman's page. And although Leighla felt horrible; knowing she'd made a deal with the devil herself. But what could she do, honestly? Turning down that amount of money was insane. Besides, it wasn't the first time she did something controversial for a couple hundred bucks-she'd sold her engagement ring from Seth on Ebay just a year or so ago.

But still, she felt badly for AJ. Not that she knew her well, but she knew of her, obviously. Pretty much every and any professional wrestling site had blown up Twitter with the demise of her pathetic relationship. But really, was it any surprise to the anyone that the well-recognized "Ladies Man" would find himself dragging AJ down a dangerous pit? From what she recalled of Seth's early Shield days, CM Punk was a huge pain in the ass, impossible to get along with. And this dark-haired woman, AJ...well, she was an oddball, but it seemed that she had her geeky perks. While she wasn't normally someone Seth would date, Leighla couldn't help but think that maybe...just maybe, that was a good thing.

Could she right this wrong?

Maybe, but how? At the very least, she should let him know that Zahra knew what was going on. How vile she would likely become in the next few days. But then she'd have to out herself, and that was something she wasn't sure she could do. She knowingly hurt Seth, and, for that matter, his girlfriend. Blowing a disappointed sigh to nobody, she closed out of her Twitter account without typing a single thing. She had a lot of contemplating to do.

* * *

If AJ could've dreamed up a better day than this last one with Seth Rollins, it wouldn't have been better than her reality. For the first time in a long time, she felt like a whole person. Seth had filled a void, in a sense; and now, she felt like every trial and tribune she'd faced in the past was meant to be. She was happy.

Sure, she didn't really need a guy to keep her happy. That was something she'd learned a long time ago, after her breakup with Jay Lethal. But she guessed that some things happen for a reason, and she sort of ended up falling for this sneaky little Authority ass-kisser without ever even realizing what she had coming.

But after all the conversations she'd had with Seth these past few days, she could feel herself more in depth with his mind. It was a beautiful thing: being so in the same state of mind as someone else, like a silent bond that they shared and nobody else could ever understand. She was amazed at how thoughtful this man was; how smart, goofy, and quirky. Even though they disagreed on their superheroes and comic books, at least he could hold his own when it came to the debate.

He was also amazingly affectionate, which was something AJ realized she never really had with another human being. She hugged Phil, kissed him and all that. She'd played the crazy, lovestruck teenager on WWE programming. But she'd never had a deep, meaningful hug. Phil had honestly never held her throughout the night. But Seth...he showed his adoration very much so with his body language. AJ had always told the entire world she wasn't big on touchy-feely crap, but this guy totally changed her thoughts on that. There was a right and wrong way to go about it, and she felt that the Architect knew exactly how to make her feel like the only girl on his mind.

And now, as much as she hated it, she knew that they would be facing reality very soon. What would they do when they returned from their mini-staycation, locked up with only each other in the middle of nowhere? Surely, people would be buzzing. There was undoubtedly a rumor backstage by now about Seth's new love interest...even if nobody knew it was her.

Unless Paige had said something. Which, she guessed wouldn't surprise her; she had been royally pissed on the phone the other night. And it wasn't like she neglected to mention their relationship to upset her dearest friend, but more like...she wasn't ready to. People had their own thoughts and feelings about Rollins, and she understood that. Much like people had warned her about Punk's tendencies, specifically his wandering eye...

Hmmm. Was she being naive?

For the first time in awhile, AJ questioned herself. She doubted the choice she had made, admitting that she'd fallen for the champ. Yes, Finn Balor was a much safer choice, but the chemistry was...average. And Rollins radiated pheromones, it seemed; all she wanted to do was be with him.

Did that mean they'd come out as a couple? Should they wait? Would it be too soon? Would people wonder if she was so quick to jump to someone new because of the announcement of Amy and Phil's gender reveal?

Relationships were hard.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the squeak of the front door, indicating that Seth had returned with the chicken alfredo pizza she'd begged him for.

"Deep in thought?" he teased, carrying the box to the kitchen table.

Quickly, AJ untucked her feet from other her bottom, stretching her legs out as they began to get that tingly feeling. She feared she'd fall flat on her face if she tried to walk. How cute.

"Kind of," she admitted, pulling her semi-rolled up tank back down over her exposed abdomen.

Seth was reaching in his cupboards for a few glasses, filling them with ice cubes from his refrigerator before pouring some water out of his Brita-filtered pitcher.

"You know," he said as he finished filling the second glass, "I know someone that's willing to listen if you've got something on your mind."

AJ sucked air through her teeth, unsure if she should open up her deep, dark thoughts. Finding the tiny flicker of courage somewhere deep in there, she got up from the couch, stretching just enough to crack her shoulders.

"I just...was wondering...what's gonna happen when we get back to work?"

Seth looked up, confusion crossing his face as he plated pizza slices for the two of them. He didn't say a word, and AJ already felt the hope that they'd eventually be able to come out as a real couple slowly plummeting to its death.

"Whatever you want," he replied finally, handing her the small white plate with the greasy goodness centered perfectly. "I would understand, given the situation, if you would want to keep our relationship quiet for now. But I'm not afraid to show off the woman that I have, either."

AJ gave a small smile, her eyes playing on Seth's for a moment.

"Don't give me that look, or we'll skip pizza and I'll carry you right up to the bedroom," he smirked playfully, and she smacked his shoulder as she bit into the gooey cheese.

"Seriously, though, AJ. I want to be with you. Fuck what everyone else has to say about it. You make me happy, and I will do everything I can for you to be happy, too," he said, finally chowing down on his own slice.

After they'd both eaten enough and their stomachs were happily full, Seth opened up his Blu-Ray collection, carefully selecting the cult classic, The Shining. He had been nearly offended when AJ had admitted the previous day that she hadn't seen the movie, and he signed her up for a viewing. She didn't mind scary movies, but with Punk's busy schedule, she didn't like watching them alone. Sometimes, she'd fall asleep to the movies, and she'd dream in unison with whatever was going on. Almost as though she was still listening, even though she was asleep. She'd often wake up shaky and scared, clutching to the blanket where Phil would've been, if he'd been home.

If he'd been sleeping next to her at all...

But whatever. This situation was fine; and she had Seth to watch it with. There was nothing to worry about.

* * *

Seth watched as AJ peeked from between her fingers, a look of horror spread across her face as the two main characters of the movie played a dangerous game of cat and mouse in a hedge-maze, one of the many freaky points of the flick. He couldn't believe she'd never seen this movie! And, she'd been nervous to watch, which lead him to believe that maybe she wasn't partial to scary movies.

Though he'd never tell AJ, Leighla had been a huge horror buff. She knew all about the Freddy Krueger movies. She frequently kept her eye out for good possibilities of new-age horror, though she swore the 80s slashers were the primetime for scary things.

She liked the oddities, right down to embalmed insects in jars and funky ancient torture devices. Strange and beautiful things were Leighla's art source.

But something about the little hint of fear in AJ's eyes was endearing; honest uncertainty, and kind of cute. It was almost like she just needed protection from harm, just like a little kid might look for whilst watching something kind of scary. He found himself wondering how CM Punk had managed to just let this woman go, not even apologizing for being such an asshat. As far as Seth could see, AJ was someone he never wanted out of his life.

Though she had raised a good question: Where would their relationship go from here?

He hoped that things would transition smoothly into the workplace, eventually to the public. But if he knew anything about this industry by now, that was a rarity. With Paige already irate, with Kevin Owens already playing Dr. Phil, and with the management keeping close watches on both of them, Seth knew that if they wanted to make it work, it was going to be fucking hard. And even though, right here and now, he knew undoubtedly he'd do what he could to give AJ the relationship and love she so deserved, he found himself worried that if things became too real for her, AJ would run the other way. Even though he trusted that she would stick it out, he also knew the realities of taking this to the next level.

Without thinking, without hesitation, he stroked the side of her face with his thumb, causing her to turn her semi-fearful face towards him.

"I love you," he said quietly, leaning in to kiss her rosy pink lips. "I promise things will be fine."

Instead of argue or question him, she opted to deepen the kiss, as though she was glad for the distraction from the movie. Their tongues danced for a few moments, Seth pulling her body close to his and ran his hands along the contours of her frame. He could feel the familiar pull in his jeans, hoping to be released. And shit, if he had his way, he'd have her right here, right now. Couch and all.

But, talking himself down, he reminded himself that this girl deserved much more than a quick bang on the living room couch. And, just as she'd given to him the night before, he vowed to do the same tonight. She was his girl, and Seth wanted nothing more than to prove it.

* * *

Paige ran through her Twitter account, not really reading anything. Lots of fans, lots of creepy dudes, and lots of bullshit. It was super late, and her eyes were growing heavy. AJ hadn't updated her account in days, and she hadn't bothered to get hold of her since their little fallout.

Earlier today, Paige ran through all sorts of emotions. She was bored as fuck, what with Rosa taking care of her family, Foxy spending time with hers, and Nattie tending to her husband's injuries. Anyone that she normally spoke to had their own stuff to take care of. And she...well, things with her boyfriend were less than stellar; and she was unsure that she really even wanted to spend any more time on him.

She'd met with Brie Bella for coffee earlier, but even that was kind of a snooze. Just something for the Total Divas cameras to capture, probably.

Truth be told, she was really missing her stupid, unwise little crumpet. AJ was trapped in Seth's cornfield, probably being bored to tears as he practiced whiny little promos for her to judge. She was probably ecstatic to return to television tomorrow night. Stoked to spend time with estrogen, rather than be shacking up with some horny sleazebag like Rollins.

She supposed, maybe, that she was being too tough on her former NXT colleague and current WWE champion. Maybe AJ was being truthful, and she was enjoying the time spent with him. But she also knew Leighla personally, and she knew Zahra personally enough, too. Seth's rep was horrifying, and it was a matter of time before AJ's life was shattered all over again. She just knew it.

Still, as she stared at the picture of Seth and the "mystery woman" who she knew was AJ, she searched his features for any sign of deception, slanted eyes or sketchy body language. Yet, no matter how much she studied the photograph, it seemed that he was very confident in their relationship. There was absolutely no sign that this was a play, no sign that his little enamor with her friend was a joke or gimmick. In NXT, they'd been force-fed all kinds of things to make promos, matches, characters, and pictures believable, and she sort of wondered if maybe Seth had taken that knowledge to his real-life relationships, too. But somehow, she doubted this. If she compared the picture from a few days prior to a random image search of Rollins and Zahra, there was clearly no chemistry between the latter. The tattooed woman gave a half-smile as she pointed to the champion at an NXT taping at Full Sail, Seth avoided her like the plague. Nothing like what she was seeing here.

Paige glanced down at the clock. Nearly three in the morning. Shit, she was overanalyzing this whole thing and driving herself insane.

But that's when she saw it-a Tweet from Zahra with a picture. _**For a giggle, clicky here! #Homewrecker**_

A bad taste in her mouth and an lump in her throat, she clicked the upload from the former NXT star. It was a self made photo of AJ Lee. First, locking lips with Daniel Bryan. The next image was with Kane. John Cena. Dolph Ziggler. Punk...and finally, the last strip of the picture was the upload of Seth and the mystery woman.

Zahra knew.

Panic grew, and Paige grabbed at her phone. She needed to warn AJ. Now. Before this got out of hand.

Instead, she stared stupidly at her phone as it began vibrating in her hand. It was Kevin Owens, that son of a bitch. He was the one who encouraged Seth to pursue this, despite Zahra's fucking insane behaviors.

"Speak," she said angrily, and Kevin gave a small, noticeably feeble laugh.

"So you saw the post," he said quietly, probably trying to not wake his roommate, Antonio Cesaro, from the blissful rest he was getting. She'd give her left big toe to be unaware of the shitstorm that was heading for her friends, the fire that was going to be set to the little puppy-love gig the two were playing at.

"Yeah, I saw it," she replied bitterly, but her eyes caught the little caption Zahra had added to her photoshop montage.

 _ **One champ...2 champs...3 champs..WHORE.**_

"Fucking cunt!" Paige exclaimed, her anxiety and frustration hitting a new high upon reading the last word. AJ was anything but a whore! She was ready to defend her honor, ready to rip Zahra a new asshole, ready to go find her house and start it on fire...

"I know, P," Kevin whispered to her. "I saw it, too." Paige had forgotten this dickhead had even called her, and now, she was ready to gouge his eyes out, too.

"Why would you encourage Seth to go for her? Knowing this bitch would react this way?" Paige shrieked, glad that she had opted out of sharing her room tonight with anyone.

"Hey, that's not fair! I never knew what a nutjob she'd turn into...and Seth, why doesn't he deserve to be happy?"

"People like him don't deserve someone like AJ! Especially since she's gotten her heart destroyed by someone exactly like your little buddy!"

Kevin sighed. "I know you don't like Rollins, and I understand why. We've gone over this before. But that's not really the problem here, now is it? The problem is Zahra, and she is outing AJ and Seth before they're even ready to admit it to themselves, let alone Twitter."

"Ever think that Seth was the one to leak that information?" Paige questioned, not hiding the salty tone she carried.

"Doubtful," he responded, crisp as can be.

"So...now what?"

Kevin sighed. "Well, they either find out that the world knows already tomorrow, and they walk into a full-on nuclear war once they get to work...or their two closest friends put aside their differences as tell them first thing tomorrow, before they get to the arena."

"What are the chances that the world ignores Zahra? I mean, now that she isn't with Seth, she's pretty much fallen off the face of the earth as far as wrestling goes," Paige pointed out. "Maybe it'll all fall on deaf ears. Another whacko, just hoping to get someone interested in her to make some quick cash."

Kevin laughed. "I'm hoping you're right, really. But I have a feeling that those are the reasons that she'll force her voice to be heard. She's going to play this out to be a lot worse than it is...and make herself look like the victim. The sympathy card."

Paige groaned. "I knew that this would end badly."

"Paige, it hasn't even started."

"This is why it never should."


	24. Chapter 23

**Hmm, when things go back to the real world, does this little relationship come crumbling down? Please let me know if you love, hate, loathe, or want to strangle me. :) Your reviews get my ass motivated. Happy (belated) Memorial Day weekend, everyone!  
**

* * *

AJ smiled as she watched Seth get out of the driver's side of their rental car, her heart thumping with both excitement and nervousness as they neared the arena. It had been a long drive; one full of thought, each of them forever delving deeper into the other's psyche. Though they'd chosen to keep their real-life relationship as low-key as possible for now, they didn't plan on necessarily hiding it, either. Seth had suggested that, like his former Shield brother, they keep their relationship hushed; but when asked, they wouldn't deny it nor confirm it. For almost a year, Dean Ambrose's relationship with pretty interviewer, Renee Young, had been on a strictly need-to-know basis, and it had worked out. Though now it was common knowledge, it had allowed them to blossom and understand each other before bringing in the rest of the world's curious eyes.

Last night had been amazing, and each time she reflected on the stay at his home, she looked forward to the possibility of the next one.

"Want me to grab your stuff, babe?" he asked, opening the trunk of the sleek vehicle. She smiled, looking down, not used to being called by such a ridiculous-and sickeningly sweet-pet name.

"Nah, I got it," she replied, slinging her skull messenger bag over her hip before grabbing her huge duffel bag. "Thank you, though," she looked up at him, still amazed at how somehow, she'd managed to capture his attention at all. She smiled broadly as he saw her watching him, the newness of their relationship making her feel like she was in deep puppy love.

Together, they made their way through the empty parking lot, chattering mindlessly about how good it felt to be back. Though the break was nice in many ways, they missed the fans, the anticipation, the structure, and their peers. Though AJ couldn't help but worry about how things might be with Paige when she finally met up with her again, she hoped it would go well. She tried to stop freaking out over that confrontation, forcing herself to listen to Seth going on about the match he was going to have that night, clearly excited to be back in the ring.

"Too bad you've always got to have backup," AJ retaliated, feeling kind of brave. She didn't want to knock Seth down, or even cause an argument after finally admitting their feelings for each other. But, it was true. "I get that you're a heel. But it makes you look like a chump, you know? Always depending on Stephanie and J&J Security, maybe even Kane or Big Show trying to keep the belt on you. And I know it's not all your fault, but why can't you try winning fairly? I know you've got enough talent, and so does everyone else...but I really want to see you use it to its full potential. Use your in-ring skills to show off, not the Authority storyline. I think a lot more people will respect you as a champ if you did that."

Seth smirked. "For you, sweetcheeks, I may just talk to the team," he gave her shoulder an affectionate squeeze, and AJ could tell he was serious. "You know what I really want to do?"

AJ's eyebrow quirked up, a small smile turning up. "Have hot shower sex in the locker room before the rest of the roster shows up?" she suggested, though she was definitely kidding. Still, it struck Seth by surprise, now a full-smile across his face.

"I mean, that would be great, too. Actually, do you think we could get away with that?"

AJ giggled, now thinking about if it _was_ something she'd want to try. For some reason, it sounded so hot...but so naughty. "Probably not," she admitted, knowing that their peers would be showing up sooner rather than later. "If you want, though, we can room together soon. And practice naked yoga," she laughed at her own bad joke, walking through the door that somehow, Seth was able to open for her despite having his arms full with heavy gear.

"Text me your room number tonight," he said with full seriousness. "If you want, of course. I can understand if you want to make sure our friends don't know the full story on what's going on."

"Ahem," a voice said from right in front of them, which was startling as neither of them had been paying any attention to anything but each other. It was Paige, standing alongside Kevin Owens.

"Hey!" Seth Rollins fistbumped his buddy, while Paige rolled her heavily-darkened eyes at the very sight of him.

"Hello, crumpet. Just throwing this out there, but maybe your friends already know the full story on what's going on, and you two don't," she stated bluntly, not bothering to look at Seth at all, nor acknowledge him.

"Yeah, bro, we need to have a quick talk. You know, before the management gets here," Kevin's playfulness with Seth ended quickly, and he took on a much more solemn articulation. "And it's not cool. So not cool."

"Paige, I'm really sorry that I spent time with Seth and didn't tell you that's where I ended up," AJ said quickly, certain that their two closest friends were just upset that they had connected with each other; not telling them that they were slowly heading towards dating territory. "But you know, I'm really happy that I did. It sucks that the internet tried to decode us before we were willing to be exploited, but in this day and age, it's just that way. So before they all crack the big mystery, Seth and I really do want to be together," AJ sputtered out quickly, turning everyone's eyes on her. She didn't mean for it to sound like a speech, but she knew she owed her friend an apology.

Paige sighed. "As much as I think that idea completely _sucks_ ," Paige emphasized her words heavily, "I accept your apology. But not your little fling with the Golden Boy. Anyways, that's not exactly what we wanted to talk to you about."

"Well, Morticia Addams, please, do tell," Seth interjected, his words powerful. AJ could tell he was getting annoyed with Paige, her little jabs at his character becoming irritating.

"Listen, Seth...about your guys' thing-" Kevin Owens started.

"Rollins, AJ. Office, now," Stephanie McMahon appeared out of absolutely nowhere, causing all four of them to jump. It was like she had managed to teleport to the area. After all, just a few seconds ago, the whole place was seemingly vacant.

"Steph, we were just-" Paige plead with Stephanie, who oftentimes let Paige get away with a lot more than she probably should. The boss had taken a deep liking to Paige, despite their very obvious differences.

"I know what you were doing," Steph seemed frazzled, and AJ began to panic. She wasn't certain what she'd done to make Stephanie immediately call them to her office, but for the most part, AJ thought she'd done well keeping herself out of trouble since the showdown with the Bellas. She'd done everything she was supposed to be doing; had fully accepted the stipulation of her eventual loss to Eva Marie. "You two, go grab a bite to eat or something before the show. I've got to speak to these two lovebirds."

 _Oh, fuck._

* * *

Seth wasn't sure what was going to happen, but he was furious.

The only person that knew where he and AJ stood as far as relationship terms went was Leighla. Which meant she had intentionally leaked the information to the general public. But for what? She had seemed to have grown up a lot since posting tons of bullshit following their nasty breakup. He was hurt, pissed, confused, and felt absolutely terrible for the woman that sat next to him. She wanted to tread carefully, not wanting to cause too much of a stir. Her life, after all, had been crushed greatly by social media and the likes. And while AJ chose to ignore reports about her, CM Punk, and Lita's totally fucked up love triangle, she wouldn't be able to just pretend that their affiliation simply didn't exist.

He also feared that this immediate public reaction would frighten her, ending them before they were able to give it a good, solid chance. He was already coming up with reasons for why she shouldn't ditch out, things to say to her when she was ready to disappear off the face of the earth again. Seth didn't want that, especially after the last time she'd made such great strides of effort to _not_ speak to him.

"Well, guys," Stephanie sat across from them, a stressed mess. AJ's hands were flat on the table, Seth's folded on his lap. "I guess let's figure this out."

"Figure what out, exactly?" Seth questioned, very uncertain where this conversation was going to be heading.

Steph gave a small sigh, avoiding eye contact with the champion. "Well, do you remember when Lana and Rusev announced their engagement on Twitter, and my team was doing everything possible to ensure that we could come up with a quick fix to the broken kayfabe?"

Both AJ and Seth murmured in reply, admitting they'd heard of that.

"But we're not messing up any storylines," Seth said in quick defense. "We just started seeing each other, and it kind of happened quickly and unexpectedly. So I don't really see how this is going to mess up kayfabe."

"I understand what you're saying, Seth. And you're right, there hasn't been the extent of patching the wound, not like the Bulgarian Brute and Ravishing Russian. But the largest problem is allegations made by your former girlfriend, Seth."

"Former girlfriend?" AJ's eyebrow quirked up, clearly not liking where this was headed.

"Yes, AJ. Zahra has taken it upon herself to call you out on social media, claiming that you're a homewrecker and that their relationship wasn't quite finished before you stepped in," Stephanie explained calmly.

"That's bullshit!" Seth exclaimed, trying hard not to notice that AJ was swallowing hard next to him, trying to bite her tongue. She probably questioned his validity now, as women often did when someone put a bug in their ear. He could only hope that their relationship was much stronger than this petty shit, but it was so new that the fragility of it was probably certain.

"I know it is," Stephanie agreed, and she seemed to be sincere. "But that brings us to the next point. I'm working really hard alongside my husband to ensure it doesn't happen, but as you know, my father gets most control. And unfortunately, he thinks that once the feud with Eva Marie has officially been wrapped up, AJ, he'd like to see what you and Zahra Schreiber could do together in the ring."

"You've got to be kidding me!" AJ was clearly angry, and she got up off from her chair. "I know that once I left Phil, I had to beg and plead for my job back. But now, I have finally gotten over all the dumb shit he put me through. I've finally found someone who helps me forget the pain. So that's really too bad for this girl, but I'm not about to lose someone all over again to their skanky ex-girlfriend!"

"Besides, Steph...you know Zahra is a wildcard. She was fired for her pro-Nazi slogans and stuff on her social media. I mean, whose to say there won't be any lashing out from the public again, just like there was when it was discovered? That'd be horrible for the company..." Seth was just talking to fill the silence, hoping that he was making a good point. This was ridiculous! He wanted to be rid of the trash, yet somehow, Zahra managed to continuously weasel her way into their life.

"I agree, yet again. And like I said, we're trying to sway his opinion. Especially because of that," Steph remarked. "However, he's been saying they want to try pushing the envelope again with our writers. And he loves putting real, raw emotion into the ring. He's known for it. And believes it makes for better stories, better fights, and better feuds. In this case, I don't necessarily argue that point; but I think it'd be a bad move, given the situation. And, AJ, given your emotional state."

Stephanie wrinkled her brow, writing something on the yellow legal pad that lay on the side of her desk. "I'll be sure to pass that along, AJ, but I can't guarantee anything. You guys have my word that I'll do everything I can to keep Zahra out of the WWE."

"How about this, Steph? You and Hunter keep her away from AJ, or I will not renew my contract in January," Seth threatened, and both women looked up at him, shocked expressions on their faces.

"You don't really mean that," AJ played off casually, laughing awkwardly like he had made a joke.

"I do, actually. Because I think sometimes the WWE forgets that these are people's _lives._ It's not for entertainment, it's for AJ and myself, behind closed doors."

"I see. So that answers my next question, as well," Stephanie responded, scratching away on her legal pad once again. "You are not interested in putting your relationship up for show?"

"For show?" they both asked in unison. AJ immediately thought she meant displaying them for the world to see in all of their most intimate moments on E!, and sorry, but becoming a regular on Total Divas was just too much for her. She had very little of her private life left as it was, and she definitely didn't feel the need or want to share Seth with the rest of the world. The fact that people were now recognizing them as a couple totally threw a loop in their original plan, though, and she wondered if maybe Stephanie had a different idea for the pair.

"Yeah, I was thinking about maybe eventually turning AJ heel, since she's pretty versatile like that, and maybe become your manager for awhile."

AJ bit her lip, knowing how many people she'd managed in the past, wondering if it would look like the old AJ that she'd fought so hard to be better than. Especially near the end of her first career run, she proved that she didn't need to be riding coattails of anyone, and she kind of wanted to keep it that way.

"I mean, it's going to be hard to ignore that people are aware of our relationship, but I think, at least for now, AJ and I would just like to keep our relationship off from the television. Since it's been determined that AJ and myself are exclusive, it's understandable if we're out in public and someone might snap a picture of us. It happens to all of us. But just like Nikki and John, I think it's wisest to keep that away, and keep kayfabe alive...at least a little bit."

Stephanie's expression changed once more, perhaps giving off a relieved vibe. "I see," she said finally. "I'll relay this all to dad-er, Vince. But like I said, guys, I can't promise anything. But I'll do my best."

"So we're free to go?" Seth asked, giving puppy dog eyes to the woman in charge. She rolled her eyes and flicked her wrist, shooing them away as she picked up her phone, swiping it unlocked. She had a pleased look on her face, and hopefully, that meant a good thing.

Seth and AJ slipped out of the office, neither of them speaking. Neither of them would look at the other. He watched as she bit her lip, trying to find the right words to say to him. Fuck, she looked sexy as hell when she did that.

The hallway was becoming busy with stagehands and cameras, the WWE Social Media Lounge set halfway set up as Tom Philips awkwardly joked with Nikki Bella and Dolph Ziggler. Seth's eyes glued to Ziggler, wishing he'd choke on his fake laughs and smiles whenever Nikki was nearby. He still held a grudge with Dolph, anyways; and seeing him and being in a shitty mood already just amplified his ill feeling towards the former champion.

"So...I've got a question," AJ finally said something, still not looking at him. She appeared to be nervous, crossing and uncrossing her arms as they filtered their way through seamstresses and hairstylists setting up throughout the backstage area.

Seth looked at her with wonder, hoping she wasn't pissed that this whole secret was...blabbed to Twitter.

"How would Zahra even know that we were...I mean, unless you were still talking to her?"

 _Fuck, I knew she would be wondering...a successful bug was planted in her ear. And now, it's possible that she'd always be wondering in the back of her mind if she actually did interfere with their relationship._

"I'm not entirely sure," Seth answered truthfully, and AJ watched as her shoes kept hitting the scratched tile on the floor. Her mouth made a thin line, and Seth knew she was trying to talk herself out of being upset. He had to act quickly.

"Zahra's not telling the truth, though. I can promise you that. We've been..well, we've actually really never been in a relationship. Just, you know...I was training her, and..."

"And sleeping together," she said, halfheartedly.

"I didn't say-"

AJ cut him off quickly, sucking air in her cheeks. "No, Seth, that wasn't a question. That was a statement. I didn't just fall off from the turnip truck yesterday. Why else would she be so annoyed that you're in a relationship, if it isn't with her?"

 _Man, girls were smart. True detectives._

"Right. Well," Seth cleared his throat, slowing his pace as AJ kept hers steady. She still looked down at the ground, as if she was unsure what to think or believe. She was definitely acting as though she didn't want to be around Seth, and as lame as it seemed, that scared him. So what if he never had an established relationship with Zahra? So what if they were pretty much just sweating together, both in the ring and in the bed?

"It's fine, Seth," she said finally. "Really. I didn't expect you to be a virgin, you know? I just didn't expect high school drama, either."

"AJ, come on," he pleaded with her, grabbing her elbow to stop her as she was now clearly huffy and trying to escape him.

"I should've known that you and me, being happy, wouldn't be so easy," she said to her feet, slowly turning to look at him as he gently released his grip. She had tears prickling her eyes, and Seth stepped forward, ready to give her a hug. She shook her head quickly, both hands up as she looked around her. While nobody from the roster was nearby, there were plenty of crew members who would love to get a quick iPhone shot of the pair, just for a few extra moments of fame.

"It can be," he replied, taking one of her hands in both of his.

"How does she know, Seth? How?"

Seth was at loss for words. She clearly thought that he'd mentioned it to her, and that he was trying to deny it so she didn't get even more upset. What could he say to her to prove that he wasn't the bad guy that so many people had led her to believe him to be?

"AJ, I-" he was cut off by his phone ringing. He dug it out of his pocket, seeing that Leighla had texted him. He'd found this odd, since they'd literally just cut ties.

AJ had caught a glimpse of the name, shaking her head as a tear fell down her cheek.

"I see," she said quietly.

"AJ..."

"I've got to get ready for the show. See ya."

With that, she stormed away, leaving Seth an angry mess. He glimpsed at his phone, cursing Leighla and her horrible timing. What in the actual fuck could she possibly want from him now?


	25. Chapter 24

**Hi everyone! Underwhelming response on the last chapter..sadface! But I will not let that deter. Here's some more for you guys.  
**

* * *

AJ sat alone in the divas locker room, ignoring the pre-show bustle that normally would capture her attention. Instead, her focus was on her tall, black Chuck Taylor wrestling boots.

She looked forward to wrestling, but now that things had just gone down the way they had, AJ had a hard time imagining herself pulling them on. She had a hard time pretending that she wasn't emotionally whacked out right at that moment.

It was like her wrestling boots were mocking her; knowing that she would put on a horrible show that evening. She couldn't even remember who she was facing, let alone the type of match she'd be in. Did she have a promo scheduled? Damn...her brain was still numb from the little shindig she just took part of in Stephanie McMahon's office.

She should've known that dating Seth Rollins was going to be harder than she'd expected. What was she thinking?

"Hello, lovely," Paige slid next to her on the long, narrow bleacher-style bench. "Are you planning on putting your boots on, or do you just want to make faces at them?"

AJ shrugged. "I haven't really decided. Things didn't go well in Stephanie's office, you know? I hate saying this, but maybe coming back here wasn't such a great idea."

Paige shook her head, slicing through the air with her hand as if to cut her off. "No, AJ. Falling for Seth Rollins wasn't a good idea. I know you like to see the good in everyone, babe, but consider all the things that he's done in his past. Sure, he seems like a great catch...but he's rude, he'd entitled, and frankly, he's a womanizer. Think what you want, but I truly believe that he's going to hurt you."

"He already did," AJ admitted, not able to look at the blackened, charcoal eyes of the other former Divas champion.

Paige gave her a questioning look, and AJ told her it was a lot of grounds to cover; her whole stay in his home and all.

"Well, unless you really want to wallow in your own pity after the show, why don't we grab a bite to eat?" Paige asked. "I really do want to know what Seth did to get you so lovestruck over his whiny, lame-ass personality."

AJ sucked in her cheeks. "Okay, but under one circumstance..." she trailed. "I don't know what the state of our relationship is at this exact moment. I mean, we're together, but I am pissed at him right now. He's got ex's falling out of his back pockets, and I don't know how to deal with them or if I should even have to. While Phil and I had a clear understanding that we would no longer be in contact, it seems to me Seth isn't able to let his women off so easily."

Paige smirked knowingly. "I'll try to leave the cut-downs to a minimum for your own benefit; but it doesn't mean I don't feel any differently about him. Meet me here after the show, and we'll leave together. I rode with Becky, but I'm sure we can find somewhere within walking distance. If nothing else, we could just get a cab. We need bestie time, and I need the whole story."

AJ gave a light smile. "I'd really like that. I feel like it's been too long."

Paige got up, giving her shoulders a good, strong stretch. "Yeah, it has. But first...put your gear on, and quit moping like someone just kicked your dog."

* * *

Paige had an early match that evening, in Becky Lynch's corner while she took on Tamina Snuka-a total waste of space if she could be perfectly honest. The best storyline the daughter of Jimmy Snuka was ever part of was probably taking on the role of AJ's bodyguard; aside from that, she was lame and had zero personality.

AJ still had her own match later on in the evening, which meant that Paige had an opportunity to track down Seth and do a little digging of her own. Although Seth was in the main event that night, he wasn't exactly hard to find. He was busy doing his stretches in the middle of the hallway, stretching his calf muscles against the cool, paved walls.

"Paige," he grunted, not looking at her as she stood over him. "So glad you decided to swing by. Coming to gloat? Or are you coming to warn me to watch my step with April? Because to be honest, I'm not interested in the overprotective card you're trying to flash at me."

Paige groaned. "Seriously? I haven't even spoken to you yet, and you're that rude?" she wondered out loud, and his eyes trailed to hers as he slowly began to rise to his feet.

"I just expect the worst from you," he said, his face fairly level with hers. Man, she was pale; he had always joked with his friend Sheamus in the past that Paige was his long lost ghost-sister, but now, it was evident that this wasn't necessary a jab towards the Irishman. This was a straight-up fact.

"I should say the same," she spat, crossing her arms across her studded chest. She was clearly upset with him, for what exactly, he didn't know. AJ wasn't really the type to run and tell their business to people, even if Paige was her closest female friend. "But I'm here to figure out why I just saw my friend wishing she'd never returned to the company that she once thought of as a second home," Paige finished, her eyes wandering to the floor as though she was embarrassed to be there. "I'm not here to avenge her, or anything. But what exactly are your intentions, Seth? I've been arguing with Kevin Owens over yours and AJ's little fling for like, a month. Is this a real thing that you feel for her? Or is it some kind of twisted game to you?"

Seth scoffed, shaking his head disapprovingly. "Is this a real question that you're asking me? I think I've made my intentions clear. I care for AJ, a lot. She's beautiful. She's smart. And she's feisty. She's nothing like anyone I've ever been with, and the more I've thought about it, the more I realize that maybe that's a _good_ thing. Sure, she's gotten a bad break. Sure, she's already surpassed every personal goal she's ever set for herself while I'm still floundering, trying to figure out how to make just as large of a statement on the company as she has. And yeah, she's got a douchey ex-husband that totally ruined her mental state. But we've all got problems, Paige. Even ones that aren't so much on the surface. You never know what someone's been through 'til you've been through it yourself."

Paige made a face. "Just hear me out, okay? AJ is literally head over heels for you. And that'd be fine, if I hadn't spent the last bit of months helping her piece back the soul she had before Phil shattered her. And the last thing I want is for her to get too involved with someone who is _well-known_ for the exact same bullshit that her ex-husband pulled." Paige put clear emphasis on her wording, wanting to prove that she still had a rough time trusting the Architect of the Shield.

"Would it really be fine? Because I'm beginning to feel like this is a personal vendetta you've got against me," Seth shot back. "I just want to be with AJ. No questions asked. The past few days especially, I've really felt like I've connected on a deeper level; something I've never gotten in the past. I want to be the one to make her happy."

"Ohh-kayyy," Paige drawled. "But what if there's someone better out there for her?"

"Isn't that up for her to decide?"

"Maybe, but again, hear me out. Before you declared your feelings for her, she was busy in NXT. She just so happened to capture the eye of a certain Demon. And I know you don't want to think about this, but Finn Balor is...well, he's possibly the nicest human being on the face of the entire planet. He's charming, handsome, and he's got no baggage that he carries around, waiting for someone to help him unpack. AJ needs someone that is safe. Catch my drift, champ?"

Seth's ears prickled. Sure, he'd heard rumor that AJ had been out with the former NXT champion, Finn Balor, but to hear it firsthand didn't really sit well with him. He kind of felt like in a way, he'd been played. Like the Black Widow had found that the cunning rookie wasn't all that he was cracked up to be, only to find herself to Iowa a few weeks later. It was hard hearing that maybe she had links to someone other than CM Punk.

But, could he really be surprised? AJ was fantastic to be around, and before their game of cat and mouse, he couldn't hold her responsible for wanting to play it safe. She'd avoided him, questioned him, evaded him...because he was too similarly characteristic to her ex. And Finn...Finn was respectable.

But boring.

"She had a thing with Balor?" he finally choked out, not wanting to know the truth.

Paige gave a tiny smirk, one that he wouldn't have normally noticed. But right in that moment, he watched every move the dark-haired diva made, and he saw that she was glad he'd picked up on that teensy fact.

"A thing, yeah," she declared. "Before you came trotting in, anyways."

"She liked him?"

"Who wouldn't?" Paige asked, incredulously. "You've met the guy. But for some reason, she still chose you over him, without really giving him a fair chance."

While Seth felt badly that the NXT star had been hitting it off with his girlfriend, he also had a hard time feeling bad that, ultimately, she'd decided against him. Balor had a backstage reputation: He was a wonderful worker, but once you got him one on one, he was hard to feel involved with. And that went beyond a relationship standpoint; that was just what it was. He was more or less interested in his career, past and present, than he was about whoever he was talking with.

That, in part, was why he hadn't yet debuted on the main roster. He just was tough to get along with.

"Look, Seth. Just do my dearest crumpet a favor, and disappear for awhile. She doesn't need the attachment. She needs to get her head on straight. She needs to look at the bigger picture, not just follow in the shadow of a WWE champion. AJ deserves much, much more than that...don't you think?"

Seth glared at her, looking deep into her features. The more she irked him, the more he'd wanted to tell her off. Sure, she had a point, and he understood that she was here to make sure her friend didn't wind herself into a bad situation all over again. But it seemed, he thought, that everyone seemed to compare him to the great CM Punk. In a way, it was humbling; in the way he was being compared, it was numbing. The last thing he'd do, or ever want to do, was burn AJ Lee as badly as that man had. And he planned on proving that to the entire world.

"Paige," he said slowly, taking a long time to say her name. "I know she's your friend, and I know that I'm not. But listen to me, please. I don't want to hurt her, I just want to be with her. For the millionth time. I know my track record is less than stellar. I know it's comparable with CM Punk's. But I want to prove to the entire world that there is much more to me than a shitty boyfriend. There's more to me than the lackluster champion everyone's seen. And it begins with her. For the first time, I'm not afraid to admit that Dean Ambrose's character is much more intriguing than my own. I'm not worried to announce that Roman Reigns' strength is much more magnificent than what I can accomplish. She's grounded me, Paige. She's made me realize that even though I'm at the top of the mountain right now, I'm still not at the top. There's still much more that I can do. And I want nothing more than to do it by her side."

Paige gave another small smile, offering her hand to the champion. "For once, Seth, I don't want to gouge your eyes out and cut your nuts off," she said quietly. He accepted her hand, not realizing that a cameraman lurking in the background had caught their entire exchange.

* * *

After her match, AJ looked forward to her evening out with Paige. She'd desperately wanted girl time, having been surrounded by Seth for the past week. Not that she was complaining, exactly; but after Leighla _and_ psycho-bitch Zahra Schreiber had made their presence in Seth's life known, AJ really needed to talk to a friend, ensuring that she wasn't insane for being slightly jealous. She knew that Seth and Phil weren't the same person, but Punk had been the same way with Amy; not ever fully being able to let her disappear completely. The result? A broken-hearted wife and an even more broken marriage.

But before she tried to scope out Paige, she figured she'd ought to get hold of Seth. He knew that she was upset with him, and they really need to set some ground rules for ex-lover communication, but in the long run they'd come too far and fought too hard to pretend that they weren't together.

AJ knew the struggle that would come with this relationship and had knowingly signed up for that. So...the least she could do was give it all she had. Being scared of a phonecall from an ex was hardly something worth leaving Seth for.

Right?

She opted to send him a quick text message, hoping the way she'd acted towards him earlier didn't make him run for the woods.

 _ **Hey, can we talk?**_

The reply was almost instant; and she immediately got butterflies before she started towards the showers. She'd scraped her elbow pretty badly taking a bump, and she wanted to make sure she washed the dried blood off from herself.

 _ **Sure. Where r u?**_

AJ smirked to herself as she typed the word 'shower,' the memory of their earlier conversation playing in her mind. Setting her phone inside her bag, it started vibrating in her hand. She looked at it stupidly, confused even; until she realized that she had an incoming call. She answered it quickly, expecting it to be from Seth, trying to scope her out.

Instead, she was greeted by an old friend: Colt Cabana. She was sorry to admit that she'd cut him out of her life, too, after her divorce. He was always a better friend to Punk than to her anyways, so she knew better than to expect him to stay friends with each of them. It was just easier, anyways, for everyone associated with Phil to remain distant. AJ just didn't really want to be reminded of him any more than she had to be.

"Hey, Ape," he said loudly, his goofy voice booming in her ear.

"Don't call me that, Colt," she warned. "I haven't gone by that nickname in quite a few _months._ I prefer to keep it that way."

"Hey, no problem! Listen, I don't mean to take up too much of your time, but I picked up your stuff from Phil. You know, the gamer room that you had set up?"

"The front room? He remodeled it?" her tone changed, and she was kind of shocked that he'd taken down her stuff. She'd put a ton of effort into making it look right, and she wouldn't have been that upset if he'd kept everything the way it was. It kicked ass, anyways...and it wasn't like she had anywhere to put all the boxed figures and memorabilia these days.

Colt sighed. "Yeah, you could say that," he said shortly. "I don't ever fight with Punk, ya'know? But that day, I've never been more disappointed in him."

"What? Why?" AJ didn't really want to know, she shouldn't care...but it was kind of rewarding to hear that Punk's friendships were seemingly beginning to fall apart. And why? All because of that _stupid_ redheaded slut.

"Well, he let Amy remodel the gamer room. It's a lovely shade of pink," he replied.

"They made it the fucking nursery?!"

"They did. But listen, I got everything out of there before he dropped it off at Goodwill or wherever. Where are you staying at? I don't mind hanging on to it, right now it's all in our spare bedroom...but my wife's sister is gonna be in town next month, and she's been nagging me to clear it out. I can ship it to your new home address, if you'd like?"

"Errr...I don't know about that, Colt," she replied, not wanting to admit that she actually didn't have a home of her own yet. In fact, looking for a condo for herself hadn't really even crossed her mind at all up until that point. She didn't have a ton of stuff, not like she used to. Her mind was going a million miles a minute, when all of a sudden, strong arms came up behind her and wrapped around her waist. She looked down, recognizing the calloused fingers and toned forearms immediately. She allowed herself to melt into Seth as he trailed fluttery little kisses on her shoulders, which were still covered with the cotton t-shirt she'd worn to the ring.

"I'm...let me call you back when I know for sure, okay?" she didn't bother to hear Colt's reply before ending the call, turning to see her suitor. His hair was wet, he was shirtless and sweaty, and he was damn gorgeous. She held his gaze for a minute before finally forcing her lips to find his, allowing him to slip his tongue into her mouth with ease. He backed her up against the tiled wall; only a few more steps and they'd be in the shower they'd joked about earlier...

Seth pulled at her hips, smashing his body against hers. She felt him tense; slowly working a hand to the waistband of her jean shorts. Without even glancing down, he'd managed to loosen her studded belt, sliding his hand down the front and cupping her lace-clad mound.

"This is naughty," she managed to whisper. "What if we get caught?"

"What if we don't?"

"Does this mean you forgive me for acting crazy?" she moaned out as he began to rub thumb across her underwear.

"Baby, you wouldn't be AJ Lee if you weren't acting crazy," he replied, turning her to face the wall.

She giggled, allowing him to slide her shorts down just enough to gain access to everything...

 _This was bad! This was a bad idea! They could seriously get fired for having sex in the locker room!_ AJ's conscious was yelling at her, declaring her the winner of the Stupidest Idea Ever award. But the way Seth could turn her on and get her ramped up with just a few words and his amazing handiwork, well...part of her didn't exactly care.

He moved her long hair from her neck, giving light kisses to the exposed skin. He kissed her tattoo gently, and she could see him lower just enough of his tight black pants to get his fully erect dick over the top.

He pulled her panties to the side, gliding effortlessly against her moist folds. Each of them took a shocked breath as he began to thrust into her, his hands holding on to her hips. She had her hands planted against the wall, but her palms became sweaty with both anticipation and fear of getting caught. It was a lot harder to hold herself up than she'd ever imagined it to be.

"I just want to comment about how fucking sexy you are," Seth murmured in her ear, his hot breath sending shudders through her entire body. "You're something special, AJ, and I don't want you to forget that."

Unsure of how to reply, she murmured incoherently, still overwhelmed by the entire thing. He kept gentle, his hips hitting up against her butt and making small slapping sounds.

"I don't want you to wonder if it'd be better, or easier, with anyone else...this is better. This is easier. We can get over the extra bullshit, and be like this all the time," he kept thrusting, his words sharp yet meaningful; he didn't intend to sound angry.

"If we're like this all the time, we'd never get anything done," she replied.

"I don't care. Tonight, I want you all to myself."

"I-oh!" she could feel the coil in the pit of her stomach begin to unwind with each thrust, a hotness beginning to bloom. Whatever Seth was hitting, he was hitting it just right...

"Yeah, baby...come for me," he gave an animalistic growl; his hips now going a quicker rhythm and the slaps becoming more frequent. As if on his command, AJ felt her whole world burst: the coil in her tummy snapped, a _whoosh_ of extreme pleasure filled her entire body as she shook, still struggling to hold herself up against the wall. She always _knew_ her triceps would come in handy outside of the ring.

Feeling AJ's sudden burst, Seth, too, let his own orgasm unfold almost immediately after. He hovered over her exposed backside, panting from the exhaustion as he pulsated between her thighs. He gave her lower back a tiny kiss before pulling away, quickly adjusting his pants back at his waist.

"That...was wow," was all he could say as AJ re-buckled her shorts.

"That was definitely wow," she replied, turning to kiss him. "And really dirty."

"Can't say I've ever done that before," Seth joked. "I love you, April. I don't know why in the fuck my ex-girlfriend called me. I don't know why in the fuck our business made it all over social media. But if you're willing to be with me despite those stupid things, it'd make me the happiest man in the world."

"You didn't think I was going to leave forever, did you?"

Seth shrugged, and it was clear that he was unsure. "I just know how it might look," he replied. "But I've never felt like this before. The last thing that I want to do is hurt you. I want to protect you."

AJ smiled. "Like a shield?" she asked, winking at her horrible pun.

Seth held up his hands. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves," he replied. "But the least I can do is offer you my commitment."

"I'd love that," she smiled, embracing him in a deep hug.

And with that, she gave a chaste kiss on his scratchy sideburn, finally turning towards the shower. She smelled like sex, and she really didn't need for Paige to take notice once they met up.

* * *

 _ **Yay, a fight, a make-up, and a sex scene...so we're on top of the world, right?**_

 _ **Well, for now.**_


	26. Chapter 25

**Hi everyone! Thanks to all who took the time to make me feel better last update..it worked, and lit a fire to keep me driving forward! That being said, what IS the deal with the cameraman? Have AJ and Seth actually resolved their problems? Where is Finn Balor? Do Seth's ex-girlfriends burn in hell?  
**

* * *

Paige nearly spat out her beer.

"You did _what?!_ " she demanded, excitement clearly drawn on her face. "You know, if any Joe Schmo walked in on that, you two would be in deep shit."

AJ giggled, her face turning red. Okay, so she didn't plan on telling Paige her post-show romp with the champion, but Paige had immediately taken note of the flush in her face, the bounce in her step, and the lightness in her demeanor.

"You and Seth must've made up," she had crooned, giving the smaller diva a wink. She knew immediately that something between them had occurred, and AJ was still so high on the drug that was Seth Rollins that she spilled all, almost immediately after the waitress had taken their drink orders.

"I know, it was so naughty and so, so wrong...but it was so worth it. I can't ever remember feeling so free, so young and in love."

"Because you were miserable, AJ, stuck with a miserable oaf," Paige had commented, her expression stone-serious now. "I'm happy that you are doing better. While Seth isn't my number one overall pick for you, I guess it's better than mopping up your tears every night. The last thing I'd like is for him to hurt you, though, and I've told you that at least a thousand times."

AJ sighed. "I know, and I don't want to get hurt, either. And I know I have tunnel-vision when it comes to Seth, but he does make me happy..." She then launched into the entire conversation that Stephanie had with them when they'd pulled the lovebirds into the Authority frontwoman's office, Paige's eyebrows shooting up at the mention of Zahra Schreiber being brought up to feud with AJ.

"That's fucking horrible. Way to go, Vince," Paige rolled her eyes, tearing pieces of her napkin into teeny, tiny squares. "He did that to me, too. Charlotte and I got into a scuffle after she slept with my then-boyfriend, and boom, we're in a feud. And as much as I wish I could say the feud was great because there was real life heat between us, the more I would be lying. It was hard to work with her, it was awkward, and I found it completely unprofessional to force us to work that closely together when the wound was still new. Not to mention, I myself had a hard time remaining professional when all I wanted to do was throw her a punch square in that ugly nose," Paige was gaining momentum as she spoke, something that happened when she was getting heated.

"The thing is though, Seth threatened to walk away from the company if Vince brought Zahra Schreiber back," AJ gave a small smile. "It was possibly one of the nicest things he could've done. I can't handle all this ex-girlfriend drama that Seth carries around with him, but at the same time, where do I have room to talk? I'm the one who foolishly paired myself with Punk, knowing what he was capable of. And I got an ugly divorce to prove that. The fact that that doesn't send Rollins running is pretty amazing," AJ continued, allowing her mind to be at peace. The last encounter she'd had with Seth put her at ease; right now, things seemed to be really good.

"I know I wasn't a huge supporter of the new Rollins campaign," Paige said as the waiter brought them a plate of mozzarella logs, "But I'm not as salty as I was before. I don't think he's the best for you, but he can't be much worse than Punk," she chomped on her appetizer, white cheese oozing from the end of the deep-fried snack. AJ was normally much more conscious of her food choices, but today was a date with a friend. _Cheat day_ , she told herself. Tomorrow, she'd hit the treadmill on an incline.

Unless Seth got to her first...

"You've got it bad, huh?" Paige asked, giving a quick wink.

"Wh-what?"

"You totally ignored me there. You're in la-la-land over Seth, aren't you?"

AJ blushed a heavy crimson, embarrassed that she couldn't hide her feelings better. Seth had taken over her whole mind, her whole world. The only thing she wondered now was where they would go from here.

"That's what I thought. Anyways, as sorry as I am that things are at a standstill with Finn, I'm glad to see you relaxed and smiling again. Ex-girlfriends aside, of course."

* * *

"Excuse me, Stephanie?" came a small voice. The woman in charge spun around, not hiding the annoyance in her bright blue orbs. She gave a once-over to the man that stood before her, a production assistant that normally said nothing during important meetings. It had actually crossed the woman's mind that maybe he wasn't cut out for the WWE, given the fact that he couldn't state his ideas in a roomful of people.

It was very curious that now, out of all evenings, he had chosen to use his voice.

"What can I do for you?" Stephanie asked, not using his name as she couldn't remember it. "I'm a busy woman, and I've got something to attend to."

"I understand, Stephanie. I just wanted you to take a look at something-"

"We have a fully-packed roster at the moment," she said with a quick wave of her hand, prepared for this guy to hand her a videotape of his time in the ring, doing terribly botched DDTs and diving elbows. Turning away from the meek, balding guy, she felt his hand tap her on the back of her arm.

"Ma'am, that's not it," he said quickly, aware that he was losing the floor. "I know you're busy. But one of my cameras caught something really interesting in the locker room earlier, and I think it would help with storylines-"

"I'll set you up for a meeting with Brian, alright?" Stephanie sounded exasperated, eager to get this annoying little fly out of her sight. She was talking about WWE legend, Road Dogg, who currently worked under the McMahon family as a writer.

"That'd be great, actually," the production assistant said quietly, averting his gaze to the floor. He didn't sound excited in the slightest, and for a split second, Stephanie felt sorry for being rude. But she was busy, all the time. And she didn't have time to listen to this know-nothing dude give his ideas and thoughts regarding the company. She was in her position for a reason after all: she knew it all.

"Fantastic. I'll send him a text, and I'll ask him to get hold of you," she flashed a quick smile, turning once again to walk away.

"But, Stephanie, wouldn't you like to know who we've filmed?"

Stephanie sighed. "Sure. Fine. I'm not late for dinner with my husband or anything," she replied huffily, but the short man ignored her bitchy statement.

"My camera guy accidentally got Paige and Seth Rollins in the locker room together. Paige had mentioned something about Finn Balor, but the camera's audio wasn't able to catch the whole bit..."

Stephanie was stunned. Paige and Rollins? Wasn't she just scolding AJ and Rollins? Damn. As much as she valued Seth, and as great of a performer he was, he sure seemed to get around quickly. And wait...wasn't Paige one of the Black Widow's friends? Possibly even her _only_ friend?

"Interesting, but I'm not sure how we can use it," she responded, trying to keep herself out of any backstage drama. She'd had her own fair share in the past, and the last thing she wanted now was to get inserted into whatever mess her employees were in.

"Well, I know that AJ and Seth had shot down ideas of Zahra. And I know that they've made it pretty clear that they're a thing right now."

"Go on," Stephanie responded, deciding against asking him how he'd known that the pair threatened to depart if real-life issues were used.

"Couldn't we just use excellent production techniques to make them say whatever we'd like? We could use Rollins to turn Paige and AJ against each other. We can cause some excellent on-screen writing if we bring in Finn Balor against Rollins, making some nitty-gritty, shady as hell insinuations between Balor and AJ. I know it might cause a tumultuous road in those two little lovebird's real-life relationship, but it's keep Zahra away...which ultimately is what we want, to keep the Nazism out of WWE."

Stephanie stroked her strong, feminine chin with her perfectly manicured index finger, her crystal-clear blue eyes shining in deep thought. "This is really, _really_ undermining our talent. It's enough to make both of them quit, hands-down..."

"So tell them about it ahead of time," he urged. "But leave out the details. Let them know you're going to turn Paige on AJ, but don't tell them why. Announce that Finn Balor is coming up from NXT, but don't bring up that he'll be feuding with Rollins. Who, by the way, turned a bright shade of green once Paige had mentioned Balor, so I could only assume that AJ's time in NXT was a lot but interesting than we were led to believe...this whole angle could work really well if we're careful."

Stephanie began nodding, slowly agreeing with the production guy. "Okay, deal. I'll book you with Brian, he'll get hold of you. I'll tell him that this storyline is crucial, and to begin working on developing a full story. We could plug in voice-overs where we need to, and we can make it believable to the audience. I think it's best that we make those four aware of the storyline, but keep them in the dark over details..." she paused. "What did you say your name was, again?"

The production assistant flashed a dazzling smile. "I'm Matthew Rayor. Matt for short. I'm glad to meet you, in person," he extended his hand to Stephanie, who took it graciously.

"Thank you, Matt. You've planted a very interesting story in my head, and I admire your persistence. Here, jot down your cell phone number for me, and we'll get this whole thing rolling."

* * *

Zahra Schreiber waited anxiously by her phone, watching and waiting. She had been ignoring her Twitter for most the day, tons of haters calling her out for publicly "harassing" AJ Lee and Seth Rollins. Though she didn't actually see anything wrong with what she'd written, she should have figured the WWE fans would come out and try to defend the couple. They had come out in slews, and she was surprised at how many people seemed to be supportive of this gag-me relationship. Most people used the "AJ really got burned, why can't you let her be happy? Sorry Seth wasn't happy with your nasty ass" bit, and she rolled her eyes at them.

Bunch of losers.

Leighla had tried to get into contact with her, too, begging her to remove her tweets regarding her ex-boyfriend. To which, the tattooed woman ignored, as well. Now was not the time for the pretty little princess to feel badly for her misdeed of greed, and truthfully, the guilt Leighla felt now was not her fucking problem.

She'd tried to get her public relations manager to give her the ins back into the WWE to really shake things up, but so far, he'd told her it was a no-go. While Vince himself thought the idea was brilliant, he had been talked down by other members of management and ultimately decided that bringing Zahra back to NXT for awhile before catapulting her into the main roster was not "best for business" after all. So, she got sneaky, and tried plan B.

She'd met Matthew a few years ago during a modeling gig. He was strikingly handsome, with dark, sharp features that made him look like he might be part Latino. Maybe he was, she didn't know. She didn't care. His smooth, cool, cut body was enough to make anyone swoon, and he could talk himself out of getting arrested for anything. Everything he said, he said so honestly that he could have claimed the sky to be orange, and people would believe it.

Perhaps it was the fact that he'd done everything in his power to land acting roles; he was well-known in all sorts of classes because he was constantly striving to be better. Unfortunately, Matthew was quite addicted to cocaine, which meant he was often turned down for roles that he would have otherwise landed. He had reached out to Zahra recently, worrying that he had a bounty on his head for not paying up to his dealer. She offered to pay off whatever debt he owed, but she wanted two things from him.

First, she wanted earth-shattering, mind-numbing, beast-like fucking from him. She lusted after him like she had never before lusted after anyone. In part, it was because she wanted to let another man experience her, since she still felt the ghost of Seth's touch sometimes during the night. Now that he was quite unavailable and made it known to the entire world, she needed to feel like she could still land someone amazing. Well, that, and she just wanted to be taken advantage of.

Second, she had a little acting gig for him.

She wanted to know badly if he'd gotten past security, given the fake pass she'd simulated for him. If Zahra wasn't going to get in with WWE again, well, she could at least burn that shit down before it got too big.

After what felt like hours had passed, her phone chimed, and she snatched it immediately, already a half-hearted smile on her face.

"Hey," she said smoothly, hoping and praying for the best here.

"Hey, Zee," Matthew gave her a solid greeting, but she wasn't able to make out whether the tone he was exhibiting was a good one or a sorry one. "Sorry it took so long for me to call."

"Well? What'd you find out?" she grew anxious quickly, and she was already pissed that he'd been avoiding the most important part of this phone call.

"Well, I actually got in alright, but noticed that the head of security had questioned whether or not I was a legitimate member of the backstage crew. I knew he was on to me, so I hid out in what I thought was an empty locker room."

"And?"

"And I got truly lucky when I was able to catch some Seth Rollins and Paige confrontation on my pussy-ass camera."

Zahra laughed loudly into the phone. "Of course. _Paige._ That makes so much more sense for him than someone like AJ. Given myself and Leighla, at least she's good looking."

"Oh, no, it wasn't like that at all. Unfortunately, the audio is shit on this camera. But I used that to my advantage."

"You're not getting to the point fast enough," Zahra said snidely, getting ready to retract her offer for this guy. "Listen, if you can't do the job I sent you off to do properly, I'll forget to shell out the cash to Lord West, and find another way to do this," she threatened, using his drug dealer's street name to prove that she'd done her homework.

She heard Matthew shuffle, as though he was shifting uncomfortably wherever he was. "Fine. I'd heard that Seth had threatened to leave the WWE if they brought you back. It's amazing what people will tell you when they think you're important."

Zahra scoffed. Seth really valued his relationship with that little twerp enough to _leave_ the company?

"So anyways, like I said. I noticed that the head of security seemed to catch on to me being a fraud. So I hid. And it just so happened to be in Seth's locker room, where Paige came in and spoke to him briefly. Threatened that if he hurt her friend and all that."

"How lovely," she replied. "A true, noble friend."

"Sadly, yes. But the thing with technology these days is that we can make people say whatever we want them to be saying. So while the audio wasn't captured, I was able to pitch to Stephanie McMahon easily that we can still use this to our advantage."

"Hold on-you got in to speak with Stephanie right away?"

"Well, yeah. I just hid until well after the show, and caught her on the way out. I've got a meeting with the creative writers tomorrow. If all goes well, AJ will think that Paige is double-crossing her in real life, and Seth will think that AJ's relationship with Finn Balor is more than she lets it on to be. I've done a little digging, you know, and apparently she'd gotten really cozy with the guy during her NXT run."

Zahra gave a low whistle, surprised that this had gone much better than she'd expected. Yes, indeed, this guy could act his way out of a paper bag. He must've put on a great show for Stephanie. She was also truly impressed that he'd become an expert on this little love triangle so quickly, clearly doing his research and refusing to go into this blindly. Prior to their business exchange, Matthew could care less about any of these people. But as soon as he needed help, and knowing that Zahra had come from a fuckton of money, he had to do an excellent job before she agreed to pay off Lord West.

He didn't disappoint.

"You are fantastic, did you know that?" she purred into the phone. "Tomorrow, put on your best acting game, and dazzle those idiot writers. Stay up late with anything you can that really drives a wedge between everyone. And then, tomorrow night, come home to me, and I'll drive you straight into my mattress."

Matthew chuckled into his phone. "Oh, Zahra. I only hope I can deliver in the bedroom as much as I did for you tonight. You are probably saving my life, you know."

"Actually, I am," she checked her fingernails, deciding that the pinkish paint she'd used earlier wasn't as sultry as she'd hoped it to be. No, when she was running her fingernails along prettyboy's back tomorrow, she'd imagined a deep, devious plum color instead. "Your bounty will be paid in two days, and I expect you to deliver in every way."

Not bothering for him to respond, she hung up her phone, an evil smile already on her face. This, she thought, was reason to celebrate.

She couldn't wait to fuck things up for Seth. She couldn't wait to have her carnal needs met tomorrow. She couldn't wait for AJ to be the one to throw Seth on his ass, just as he'd done to her. Fuck, he deserved to rot in hell.


	27. Chapter 26

**I suck. Damnit, I know I suck. But real life happened aaand guess what friends!? I got married! :)**

 **On another note, thank you to those that followed me on Twitter and got me motivated. I am forever in love with wrestling and I love to "tweet-meet" so to speak those who have supported me. So, if you'd like to add me on Twitter, my handle is ashrainboww. So here we go, another installment of YTH.  
**

* * *

"Stephanie," Seth Rollins answered his phone bitterly, still remembering the godawful pitch she'd given regarding a real-life love triangle storyline. Although he respected her greatly, he knew that she gave up a fight to Vince McMahon often, and he was ready to hear the news that Mr. McMahon had chosen to bring Zahra not only back to WWE, but straight to Monday Night Raw.

"Now, Seth, there's no reason to be short with me," came her smooth voice. It sounded calm. Too calm.

"Given our last conversation and airing out my dirty laundry in front of my girlfriend _and_ the rest of the world, I feel it's justified," he replied, warmth beginning to fill his cheeks. He was getting annoyed quickly, knowing this discussion couldn't be good.

"I know that it wasn't exactly fantastic, but luckily, one of the stagehands in the back was able to come up with a solid solution to this problem."

"A stagehand? Seriously?" Since when did Stephanie McMahon listen to a random nobody in the back? This smelled fishy.

"I know, it's not usually my style. My team usually creates a story, and we stick with it. Despite what everyone else thinks."

"Yeah, so I've realized," Seth replied, rolling his eyes. He was glad that she wasn't able to see him.

"I ran this idea by dad-er, Vince, and it was approved. So Zahra can stay in whatever filthy basement she's been staying in. Thank God."

Seth quirked an eyebrow; surprised that his boss would undermine a former talent like that so quickly. Though it was never a secret that she disliked the tattooed star, it was unusual for her to say something that could be deemed unprofessional.

"Sorry," Stephanie apologized quickly, trying to mask the obvious embarrassment in her voice. "I know you used to-well, nevermind. The good thing is, you can leave your previous relationships alone and focus on the one you're in now." Seth could hear the smirk in her voice, and the same annoyance crept up on from just moments ago. It was demeaning in a way, and he felt that she was insinuating that, with certainty, this relationship wouldn't be able to last.

"Fantastic. And exactly what does this have to do with me?" Seth sighed, ready to hear the dumb ass storyline that had been concocted.

"Oh, well, we actually just wanted to put you in a storyline with Paige. You both are natural heels, she needs something to do while she's out of the title picture...I don't know, it might be good."

 _"Paige?_ Paige can't stand me!" Seth didn't bother to acknowledge to his boss that they had seemingly buried the hatchet; it was none of her business and certainly would somehow be used in storyline format.

"Even better. We're trying to turn her against AJ, cementing the heel turn. And who else better but to stick around with?"

"This sounds like a shitty love story," Seth argued.

"It's going to be fine. If you don't want to work with Paige, then work with AJ and be top heels together."

"No way. Our relationship isn't meant for the world to see yet."

"The world as in CM Punk, or Zahra, or Leighla? Or...Finn Balor, perhaps?" Stephanie's tone changed to a flat, cold one; the one where Seth knew he ought to stop pushing her buttons.

"What in the hell does Finn Balor have to do with anything?" Seth grit his teeth, wishing Steph was able to see the anger she was conjuring up within him.

"Nothing," she replied sweetly. "He's still in NXT, defending his title shortly against Joe."

Shaking off her comment, Seth agreed. "As long as I don't have to liplock with the wicked witch, I guess I can handle that. She's okay with me dating her best friend, but I seriously doubt she'd be interested in a bogus love triangle that involves me. Didn't you guys learn from Nikki, Brie, and Daniel? It just never works."

"On contrary, Seth, Brie and Daniel are married now."

"I'm aware!" Seth snapped. "Sorry. I am _aware_. But I'm not looking to marry AJ, I just want to give a solid shot at a relationship and the last thing I want is for the writers to ruin that for me. I'm actually happy in my personal life."

"I understand completely, Seth. No worries," she had a little bite to her farewells, and Seth knew that she was up to something. He had already fallen victim to shitty writing on numerous occasions, and he hated that he was going to be the reason Paige and AJ would begin feuding. He felt lucky that, at the very least, he'd be working with Paige of all people. If it had been the likes of Nikki Bella, he would worry that AJ might get a bit...jealous. It seemed to him that the management had taken his words into consideration: Right now, his relationship with AJ was of high value, and he wasn't willing to ruin that.

"Yeah, we'll see about that," he responded hotly, but Stephanie had already hung up.

 _Bitch,_ he thought to himself; though he didn't actually feel that way about her. He was just very, very stressed out over the past few day's bringings. He knew being a superstar for this company was going to be a lot of work. He knew it'd be rewarding. He knew his privacy was going to be hugely diminished.

All he wanted, though, was a clean cut from the past; and for whatever reason, everytime he turned around, his past was literally staring him in the face.

With that final thought, he laid down on the hotel room bed, putting earbuds into his ears and relaxing to the thudding of the loud guitar riffs into his ears. It was a good way to unwind, to forget about the shit he'd had to listen to today. Fuck, the only thing that made today worth waking up for was AJ.

* * *

Seth woke up to his phone buzzing against the wood of the nightstand. At some point during his nap, he'd removed the earbuds and his iPod now lay next to him on the thick red quilt that covered the hotel's bed. He was relieved he hadn't accidentally knocked it to the floor.

He snapped into reality, stretching to reach for his phone. He smiled as he saw that it was AJ. With a quick swipe, he answered, happy that it was she who had interrupted his sleep.

"Hey, sleepyhead," AJ said when he'd answered. "I figured you'd fallen asleep. I know it's kind of late, but I just got back from dinner with Paige. I was wondering if maybe you wanted some company? She's off to have probable phone sex with her boyfriend."

Seth chuckled. "Too much information. But yes, I could use some more of you in my evening. I have to talk to you anyways about some dumb ass new storyline I've got to be a part of," his smile faded whilst remembering his last conversation.

"Oh, great," AJ groaned into his ear. "Seth, I really hope 'ol Vinnie didn't give the green light to...well, I just have already been punished enough by having to suffer a loss to Eva Marie soon here. I feel like that's fair. But anything past that...I don't know if I can take it."

"AJ, relax," Seth consoled her quickly before she got too panicky. "We don't have to worry at all about Zahra. She is a non-issue. Just meet me in my room as soon as you can, and I'll explain it."

AJ agreed half-heartedly, and Seth repeated that it wasn't as bad as the ideas Stephanie had slung their way earlier. He figured she'd be much more relaxed to discover that he'd be in a storyline with her friend; someone who wanted nothing but the best for her.

Nearly twenty minutes later, a gentle tap came on Seth's door, to which he swung open quickly, yanking the petite woman inside before wrapping his arms around her shoulders and holding her small body against him. He breathed in her freshly shampooed hair, kissing the top of her head before breaking away to look into her dark eyes.

"Well hello there, beautiful," he smiled, giving the cocky grin he was known and loved for by viewers of the WWE. AJ rolled her eyes before rocking back on the heels of her feet, getting up on her tiptoes, and kissing him square in the nose. Something that would seem juvenile normally made Seth's heart skip a second, the innocence she carried around rather calming.

"What was that for?" he asked, leading her to the bed before falling down against it, forcing her to topple to the mattress with him. She settled awkwardly into a spooning position with him as he stroked her long, dark hair. He kissed her temple, wishing he could photograph this moment and keep it with him forever.

"I wish that things were easier," she said after a long silence. "I hate that the whole world seems to know that we want to be together. I hate that it had to be leaked to the world by someone who is envious. I wish that I was more comfortable being honest about our relationship to the world...but I'm just not. I love you, Seth. I do. I just want to be recognized as a person separate from you. I don't want to be known as 'Seth Rollin's girlfriend.'"

Seth gave a quiet laugh. "You will never be known as 'Seth Rollin's girlfriend' to the world, AJ...be serious," he gave her a side-hug, propping himself up on an elbow. "But I understand how you feel. I can't tell you to stop having such reservations, because I know that it's not fair. But I think that we'll be able to get through anything. I mean...we've already gotten this far, haven't we?"

AJ turned to face him, drawing her knees closer to her stomach and forcing a reasonable distance between them. "If it's not Zahra, it's Leighla. So what's this big storyline? In walks ghost of girlfriend past during a segment between you and Dean? Or, better yet-Leighla interferes in my match against newly-signed diva, Zahra? I know I sound like a scared little girl, but this is extremely uncomfortable for me to live through."

Seth draped his arm over her, pushing her knees downward with his free arm. Though she resisted at first, he brought his body closer to hers. He could feel the warmth of her body against him, wishing that their bodies were touching...

"No, April. You don't have to worry about them. I promise on all that exists. Stephanie actually got me involved in a different feud. And while I'm not sure how it is going to work, she has me working with one of your friends."

AJ raised an eyebrow. "Big E?" she asked, confused. Before her split from Punk, Big E had been her rock...literally. But now, things between them still seemed strange, most specifically because he still spoke to Phil on a regular basis. While in the past, he'd been one of her closest friends, things just don't remain the same for long.

"No, not E," replied Seth. "Stephanie had this weird idea pitched to her by some camera guy or whatever, and I guess they're going to run with it for now. I'm working with Paige for awhile."

AJ began to giggle. "Paige? Are you sure? Because I really don't see Paige giving the thumbs-up to working with you, babe. No offense."

"And none taken. But I agreed to it, because I know I can trust her. And you know you can, too. So long as she agrees to it, we'll be somehow written in together for awhile. I don't think as a couple or anything like that, because the real world knows better. But as a pair of evil villains."

"I don't know, Seth. This whole thing seems super sketchy," she bit her lip, clearly having reservations about the whole ordeal. "Something doesn't feel right here."

"AJ...I promise you, if I felt things were going to get fucked, I would have never agreed to it. We fought too hard to be like this to just let outside forces influence us."

AJ gave a sigh, finally acknowledging that she was probably getting worked up over nothing. She turned to face away from Seth once again, melting into his arms. Suddenly, though, she gave an excited jump.

"Hot damn, check out that moon!" she exclaimed, pointing towards the orangeish glow that was being cast through the room's window. Seth glanced up, the moon seemingly so close that they could touch it if they wanted. It was incredible, to say the least.

"It's beautiful," AJ breathed, swinging her feet to the bed as she walked towards the window, marveling at the magnificent yet simple glow. "Possibly the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in person."

At some point, the architect must've gotten up and followed her to the window, the view up from the eighth floor overlooking the busy city they were staying in now in his view, too. AJ was right, though; the moon seemed to be peeking into the window as if to see what was going on. He'd never seen anything quite like it.

Seth hugged her from behind. "I'm going to be corny here," he warned. "But it's the second most beautiful thing I've ever seen myself. A runner-up to you."

AJ turned, loosening his embrace, to face him. Her eyes had a light in them, one that he wasn't sure he'd seen before. She twisted her mouth, and was now wearing a ridiculous, goofy grin. "Any more cheese, and I can start calling you nacho," she teased. "But thank you." She wove her fingers between his, lacing them as a weird warmth began to overtake her body. She quickly meshed her lips to his, succumbing to this overwhelming urge to feel connected to the man she loved.

"What was that for?" Seth asked, smirking against her mouth after she'd softly nipped his lower lip.

"For making me feel the way you do. I mean it. I was so far down on myself for so long...but I would've lived through it all over again if it meant that I'd be standing here in this moment with you."

"What was that about cheese?" Seth gave a gravelly whisper and she gave him a lighthearted punch to his shoulder.

With that, Seth gently pulled her back towards the bed, tucking both hands behind his head. "But trust me, sweetcheeks, the feeling is mutual. I love you, with all that I am. Spend the night here with me." Seth's voice seemed urgent and needy, and there was something in it that AJ found as a huge turn-on. This man could say anything in the world, and he'd ignite this ridiculous heated buzz within her; the need to be with him in every way evident, despite all of their obstacles.

"Of course I will," she agreed, nuzzling him before laying gentle kisses against his skin. "But don't expect to get a great amount of sleeping done, if that's what you're aiming for."

Seth swooped in for another kiss before resting his hand on her hip, fiddling with the waistband of her black jeans. He had an urge to kiss her protruding hip bone, as though he was suddenly aware that she was possibly the sexiest woman he'd ever met...and she didn't even have to try.

"You're going to be the death of me, you know that?" he said to her before stroking her chin and succumbing to the glossy, pouted lips. And in that moment, they were blissful; their bodies contouring to one another as the clothes they once wore ended up in a messy pile next to the bed.

* * *

The next few weeks had been a blur; both AJ and Seth enjoying one another's company while away from the ring and ignoring the backstage talk while they were working. Each worked hard to maintain their characters: Seth played a mega-heel, to which AJ found herself disliking. For someone who had so much backstage politics on his side, she couldn't comprehend why he wouldn't ask his mentor and guide Triple H to at least make him look like a respectable champion and cleanly win over someone.

On the flip side, AJ and Paige were still playing out the 'freaks and geeks' story, forever feuding with the Bella Twins who represented everything they were not. Sometimes, Eva Marie would get herself involved just to prove to the fans that she was still there. Each time the redhead showed up, AJ couldn't help but be a little proud of her: Each time, she would get booed out of the building and still stand there with a hateful, awesome lipsticked smile. If anyone could play a narcissistic witch, it was her; and she owned it.

Finally, though, the night of the pay-per-view rolled around, and AJ was nervous to work with Eva Marie. She knew that she'd have to carry the match, despite her opponents improvements. At least it'd be the end of the feud, and if she understood correctly, it would be the beginning of a new one.

During the kick-off show, AJ did some stretching to ease her rattled brain. She wished she could find Seth, but she knew better. He was very confined when it came to big shows like this and she respected that. Still, it didn't change the fact that she wished she was with him.

 _Later,_ she reminded herself. He'd asked her out on a proper date after the show, but since her match was in the beginning of the main card and his was the last, she'd be doing a lot of waiting around.

"Hey, there she is," came a vaguely familiar voice as it entered the locker room. "How've you been, April?"

AJ turned to see the beautifully chiseled, cleaned-up man known as Finn Balor. She felt as though she forgot how to breathe; she hadn't seen him in a long time...and yet here he was, standing there watching her as she did awful warm-ups. She scrambled to her feet, wishing she'd at least allowed the makeup ladies to put a coat of lipgloss on her earlier. All she normally allowed for was a bit of eyeliner and half-sets of fake lashes...but that was all. As for her hair? Well, it was a wreck anyway, so she opted to do it herself every single show.

She felt like an actual potato next to Finn.

"Beautiful as always," he said, his accent thick as ever. He began stepping forward to give her a hug. She allowed it, finding her Chuck-clad feet stepping towards the ridiculously tall, godlike man. "I haven't seen you in awhile. You look good. Happy."

"I am," she smiled, and he gave her a generous smile in return. "Oh, hey-what are you even doing here?"

Finn gave a smile. "It's a surprise," he made a quick gesture with his free hand, the other holding tightly to the NXT championship that sat on his shoulder. AJ would never admit it to Seth or anyone that was important, but the NXT belt was much more appealing that the one that was of high prestige on the main roster. Shoot, all of the NXT belts looked better in her opinion.

"Well, I'm glad you're here. Even more glad to see _you_ ," she smiled, quickly realizing how bad that sounded. She was in a true relationship, yet she was falling over this guy who, a few months back, she had a rough time going out to dinner with? What was wrong with this picture?

"I'm glad to be here. Glad to see you, of course. Hopefully I run into you again soon," Finn gave her a quick wink before exiting, slightly ducking under the doorframe so he didn't knock his head. He gently closed the door behind him, and AJ stood in silence, still gawking at the place he had stood moments before. She knew she was being stupid...but had he always been so flipping gorgeous? She supposed at the time, she hadn't really been ready to be in a relationship, which might've been why she had no true interest in Finn back then...but now...

She gave a shake of her head, warding the thoughts away. No, she shouldn't even be thinking of the what-ifs. Seth had given her something she could only dream of, and she shouldn't risk that for a charming, accented man in a dapper suit.

Giving one last stretch to her calves, she left the room, too, ready and anxious to skip down to the ring.

* * *

Seth watched as AJ left the room she was in.

And normally, he'd have walked up to her, wished her luck on the match despite the horrific impending outcome, and given her a chaste kiss so that their peers didn't see the interaction.

Except just a few moments ago, he'd seen a certain demon king exit the same room, a swooning look painted on his face. As though he had just been kissed, perhaps?

 _No...AJ wasn't like that,_ he told himself. Things had been consistently happy between them, and in fact, they had planned on going to Tyler Breeze's wedding together later that month as an exclusive couple for the first time ever. Still, there was confirmed interest between his girlfriend and the current NXT champ in the past, and he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable that they'd just left the same exact room, matched, dopey expressions on their faces.

Quickly shaking his head to ward off the evil thoughts he shouldn't be thinking, he stepped towards AJ to give her a good luck kiss, despite the fact that were members of the roster lingering around.

"Oh-hey!" AJ turned towards him when she'd seen him from the corner of her eye. "I didn't think you'd be out and about so early."

"I wanted to make sure I saw you before your match. Good luck, sweetcheeks," he planted her with a very clear kiss, happily aware of the onlookers.

 _Fuck 'em,_ he thought as he could hear small gasps and whispers around him. It wasn't as if they didn't already know there was something going on. He secretly hoped that Finn Balor, too, was lurking around somewhere so he could see that the beautiful black widow was his, and he had just made that known to his friends.

"Seth, people are looking," AJ whispered, nervously looking around. "I thought you didn't want...I thought we were waiting for Tyler's wedding before we...you know, announced anything."

Seth began to speak, but a nearby stagehand cut him off as he began to escort AJ towards the curtain, where Eva Marie stood already in a huge, sequinned red robe, a makeup artist brushing some sparkly shit on each of her cheeks while she looked upward. He smiled as another artist approached AJ, whom she promptly told to find something better to do.

"You'll be great," he said before walking away from the chaos. She gave him a nerdy thumbs-up sign, her cropped Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle tank top riding just above her bellybutton.

Shit, he couldn't wait to take that thing off from her later.


	28. Chapter 27

**I suck. Damnit, I know I suck. But real life happened aaand guess what friends!? I got married! :)**

 **On another note, thank you to those that followed me on Twitter and got me motivated. I am forever in love with wrestling and I love to "tweet-meet" so to speak those who have supported me. So, if you'd like to add me on Twitter, my handle is ashrainboww. So here we go, another installment of YTH.  
**

* * *

Being the first match of the night wasn't so bad.

It was kind of nice, actually. It meant that people would be focused, not still caught on the prior match. It meant it wouldn't be deemed as "go-to-the-bathroom" match of the evening. For AJ fans, they expected her to squash the Queen of Red without a problem. Man, were they going to be disappointed.

After Eva Marie had made her grand entrance, AJ's music began to play. Taking a deep breath and looking forward for this feud to be over, she began her traditional skip down the ramp. And, as expected, the amount of cheers that filled the arena were heartwarming. There was even a sign in the crowd that read 'PUNK WHO?' that made her giggle a little. How in the world had the security guards for WWE not been able to confiscate that one? No matter, it was nice to see there was still plenty of support from her fans out there.

As planned, AJ went to shake Eva Marie's hand, despite the back-and-forth segments they had been involved in during the prior weeks. Eva, who actually was a very good actress, turned to the crowd and made a disgusted face before flipping her brilliant hair over her shoulder as if to walk away, making a point that she was above the veteran diva. She was prettier, smarter, and...not paying attention.

That was the opening of the match; AJ grabbed her shoulder to whip her around, catching her off-guard with a swift forearm. Eva's hands instantly flew up to her nose, saying something to the referee to make him distance AJ to go for another hit. AJ turned to the crowd with her hands in the air as if to say _"fucking really?!"_ which caused more cheers and jeers.

Finally, Eva tore across the ring, ready to begin trading blows with the smaller woman. They did just that, AJ gaining momentum quickly. She went ahead and pinned Eva prematurely, which resulted in a solid two-count, but she still plead with the referee anyways before picking the redhead up from the mat.

"Off the hair, AJ!" warned the referee, but AJ just ignored him as she tossed her opponent quickly into the turnbuckle before throwing a forearm once again straight into her chest.

Eva got into a perfect position for a bulldog, which AJ executed without a hitch. _As much heat as Eva gets,_ AJ thought to herself, _she sure has improved._

Once again, Eva kicked out at two. This time, AJ pounded her fists on the mat in frustration, yelling at the woman to "just stay down!"

Eventually, Eva was able to throw a few hits, which seemingly only pissed off the Black Widow. She gave an angry yell before plowing into Eva, clotheslining her dead-center in the middle of the ring. She focused on the groggy redhead as she prepared for her special move, the Shining Wizard. Once again, AJ ran straight into Eva, colliding beautifully with her shoulder blade.

Unfortunately, that was where the match would switch gear.

The referee was standing too closely to Eva, and AJ collided with him, too. She made an awkward hop over Eva's body, managing to catch him with the final force of her signature move. He now was laying outside of the ring, facedown, as she had Eva Marie pinned for probably a 42-count.

When she feigned realizing that there was no referee in the ring, she stood on the apron yelling at him to get back in, to call the match. She clapped loudly in his general direction, pulling her hair out as she grew more annoyed that he wasn't mobile. After jumping back into the ring and stomping on Eva just to keep her on the canvas, the referee finally began to stir.

But, lo and behold, Paige was making her way down to the ring wearing one of her 'Scream For Me' t-shirts and black jeans. She slid into the ring, giving Eva Marie a small push when she did so. This garnered more cheers, and a small crowd of people began the "Paige is gonna get you' chant, everyone prepared for the raven-haired diva to completely decimate the Total Divas star.

Except that isn't what was going to happen. Paige gave AJ a small hug, asking her if she was okay. AJ said yes, then pointed at the ref and said something regarding him being immobile. Then, as if completely out of the blue, Paige took her friend and quickly performed the PaigeTurn, the move that she had supposedly retired a few years ago due to the strain it was putting on her spine. It was a quick swinging leg hook into a fireman's carry slam, something that was so dangerous and powerful that it was the perfect move to put AJ out of the match. Eva, at this point, was looking like a scared reindeer, her mouth open and questioning what just happened. Paige extended her hand to the redhead, who grasped it and scrambled to her feet before pinning AJ. Naturally, the referee who was playing possum outside the ring was suddenly able to move, and this resulted in a three-count.

The fans booed. They booed _hard._

And AJ felt badly for them. _It was all backstage politics!_ she wanted to scream; but of course even then, it would do no good. She stayed still in the ring, her hair everywhere and her hand draped against her stomach. Her eyes remained closed until the lights dimmed for the commercial break, where she slowly got to her feet with very pretended help by the referee.

She made her way backstage, where Eva already stood, wiping the bit of sweat that had formed in her hairline. She quickly enveloped AJ in a hug, much to her surprise, congratulating her on making her "look like she actually belonged in the ring."

 _Well, let's not get carried away,_ AJ thought, but she knew she was being unfair. Despite Eva being only cast for the _Total Divas_ reality show and not an actual wrestler, she had tried really hard to improve in the ring. They had put on a truly solid match together, and while AJ didn't know the full extent of her feud with Paige, she was still genuinely proud of the redhead's overall performance tonight.

* * *

"Well, look-it here, it's the great Seth Rollins," came a very distinct accent.

Seth had been sitting at a table in catering, his earphones plugged into his phone as he listened to Killswitch Engage while thumbing through some of the tweets for the night.

 _ **Queen AJ falls to the Queen of Red? I don't get it. WHY?!**_

 _ **Something messy between AJ and Paige happened...that wasn't acting.**_

 _ **Heard Paige slithered her way into Rollin's bed. Makes sense.**_

 _ **I can hear CM Punk laughing at AJ for losing all the way in Chicago.**_

Man, fans were assholes.

Regardless, the words came from Finn Balor right in the silence when the track changed, so he couldn't even pretend he hadn't heard his name. His body failed him anyways, his eyes flicking upward to the lanky, well-groomed man. He wore a goofy smile, a very clean, crisp black suit, and the very same shiny gold NXT championship belt that Seth had been the first recipient of.

He whipped a headphone from his ear, trying hard to remain calm. He hated that he was being such a jealous fool over this guy, but yet he couldn't help but feel inferior to him.

"Sorry?"

Finn misread Seth's question as an invitation, slipping in to the chair across from him as if they were old pals. His stature was still looming, and Seth felt tiny compared to him. His mind got the best of him, and he had to chase away the wondering thought of what it had been like for AJ to be with him.

"It's been awhile. Glad to see you've finally accomplished a big dream," Finn motioned towards Seth's belt. "Best watch it for when I come to the main roster, though. Keep it warm for me." _  
_

"Is that why you're here?" Seth wondered, his eyes watching the man carefully. "Are you being called up, or what?"

Finn took a swig from the bottle of water Seth hadn't realized he'd been carrying. "Can't be entirely sure, to be honest. Creative here needs me for something. Wanted to talk about something with the writing. It doesn't make near the same amount of sense as it does back in NXT," Finn commented, and Seth found himself growing bored of the smalltalk. It wasn't Finn's fault, he just...wasn't the type that really held a good, back and forth conversation.

"Listen, I'd love to stay and chat but I-"

"Oh, aside from the belt, congratulations on your other little trophy," Finn gave a small sneer, something that was pretty unusual for the normally happy, friendly guy.

"I'm not sure I'm following," Seth muttered.

"...and I'm sure that you are. I'm happy for your new relationship. Really. But-" he stood up, pushing his chair in-"I know that you had this belt before I did. But just note that when it comes to April, I had her before _you_ did." Finn gave him a ridiculously insulting wink before straightening the lapels on his jacket, a smug look on his face as he exited the room.

Normally, Seth would have gotten up and gotten angry, ready to fight. But it took him a moment to catch exactly what the Demon King was insinuating here.

Getting to his feet and nearly knocking the chair he was sitting on over, he was ready to go knock Balor's front teeth out once realization had struck him. But for some reason, he halted; his jealousy overwhelming him. This feeling was something he wasn't used to.

 _Had Balor actually slept with AJ?_ he found himself wondering. He hated that Finn was able to make him doubt their whole relationship like this; make him feel like it was based off from a lie. He'd been told numerous times that AJ had been seeing the NXT champion during her time in Florida, and while she told him the extent of it wasn't anything extraordinary, it was quite possible that she was hiding the entire truth from him.

After all, he hadn't been a completely open book with _her_...and he _had_ just seen Balor leaving AJ's dressing room just a few hours ago.

 _Why was he feeling like this!?_

His head snapped up from his thoughts when he'd heard his name called, a stagehand waving a clipboard in his direction. Checking his phone, he had approximately a half-hour to finish getting ready- _ah, shit!_

* * *

AJ watched in shock as Finn Balor's music played, Seth Rollins' face in complete shock as he stood too close to the ropes. Ambrose was starting to stir, and if Rollins kept paying attention to the wrong man, it was certainly going to end in a roll-up. Seth seemed surprised. Almost as though he didn't know this was going to happen...

With a sick, overwhelming feeling in her stomach, AJ realized that Seth looked surprised because he _was_ surprised; he didn't expect this at all. This was not good.

Finn just stood at the top of the ramp, his eyes shining wildly as the match continued. Seth became suddenly aware that he needed to focus on Ambrose, his mentality shifting back to where it ought to be. Before performing the Pedigree, Rollins pointed at Balor, as if to say that he was next. The last bit went smoothly, and AJ breathed an enormous sigh of relief when the referee held up his hand in victory.

But, of course, Balor wasn't done. He now stood toe-to-toe in the center with Rollins, looking down his nose at AJ's boyfriend. Seth wrinkled his nose in response, giving the NXT championship belt a knock before laughing, mocking the holder and playing his heel character at high volumes. The fans booed as he turned away, holding his own belt high in the air.

Sliding out of the ring, Seth clutched his ribcage as he continued to hold the shiny gold belt high in the air, ignoring the fans that were chanting "NXT! NXT! NXT!"

The WWE logo appeared in the corner of the screen, and AJ knew that it meant the production was over. Standing slowly as she folded up the metal chair she'd been sitting on, she propped it up against the cement wall before heading back towards the curtain, anxious to see her boyfriend and even more anxious to get back to the hotel with him. It'd been a long night, after all.

She smiled when she saw him, still clutching his ribcage as she headed towards him, her arms stretched to give him the hug that he clearly needed.

"You okay?" she whispered as he wrapped his muscular upper body around her shoulders, trying her hardest to ignore the standoffish vibe he was giving her.

"I landed bad," he admitted, talking quietly into her hair so that none of the officials heard him and panicked. "I don't know how bad, exactly..."

"Don't worry," she replied in a hushed voice. "You'll be okay."

"Maybe, but will we?"

She broke away from him, unsure if she'd heard him correctly. Her eyes searched his face, his expression frustratingly emotionless. He was stone.

"Why...why wouldn't we be?" her voice was still quiet and shaky, but she followed his gaze to where Finn stood, being surrounded by Stephanie, Vince, and Hunter while he proudly held his championship belt over his shoulder.

"Obviously, we need to talk," he muttered, squeezing her hand before dropping it. "I'll meet you back at the hotel, AJ. I'll text you."

With that, AJ stood in the wake of the storm, unsure what the problem was and even more unsure of why, so suddenly, Seth was losing his shit over the sudden appearance of the NXT rookie.

She watched as Finn spoke to Stephanie, a large, toothy smile and grandeur gestures completing his whole physical being. He caught her gaze momentarily, and held it as he raised an eyebrow at her. She rolled her eyes in reply, flipping her hair over her shoulder before walking to catch a ride with Paige back to the hotel.

* * *

AJ stood in front of Seth's door, wearing the very same Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle top that she wore earlier as she crossed her arm. She felt she'd been waiting for him to open the door for fifteen minutes. In fact, the only reason she hadn't given up and gone back to the bed she hadn't planned on sleeping in that night was the fact that she could hear him shuffling around the room.

Finally, the door swung open, revealing a black pajama-bottomed Seth Rollins, a glorious sight if she ever saw one. He had a toothbrush stuck in the side of his mouth and his phone in his hand.

"Sorry," he apologized, his eyes full of sorrow. "It was my mom. Just had to catch up."

"Your mom, or your ex-girlfriend?" AJ knew she was being petty, but after the way he had reacted to her earlier, it was hard to keep a level-head.

Seth groaned. "Come on, April. Why do you have to do that?"

"Why do we need to talk so badly? What's going on, Seth?"

Seth took her hand, motioning for her to come into the hotel room. Falling on his bed, she sat beside him, trying hard to keep a safe enough distance. The last thing she wanted was to seem too clingy if he was seriously upset over something that she did.

"What's going on with you and Balor?" he grumbled.

"What?! Nothing!" she sounded like an angry chihuahua, her voice raising a couple octaves as the blind-siding question struck her. "Did he say something to you?"

Seth's eyes were cold. "Well, what else was he really doing there tonight? He wasn't scheduled to be there, and it was probably just convenient for the WWE officials to throw him into the main event tonight as a distraction since he was already lurking backstage anyways."

"How am I supposed to know?" AJ questioned him, her eyes narrowing. "WWE changes their minds on plans all the time. I don't understand their thought processes one bit regarding the choices they make."

"And how do you explain him coming from the same exact locker room you were in before the show? Swaggering out of it like he owned the damn place," Seth began to grit his teeth, and AJ could sense that he was starting to lose his cool. She was also kind of embarrassed that Seth had seen him come from that door, because if the roles were reversed, it was likely she'd jump to the same conclusion.

"Finn came by to say hello before my match because we got along during my time hanging around NXT."

"I'm just saying how bad it looks. To me, it looks like he came to see _you_."

AJ scoffed. "Yeah, right. With how bland our dinner date was, I highly doubt that. Seriously, you're being such a baby right now. Did you ever thing that he was there to...I don't know, maybe...wrestle?" The last bit was said with a sharp bite to it, AJ hoping her point stuck. Her boyfriend was being so freaking stupid about nothing.

Seth _had_ considered that, actually; but he had somehow hoped that Balor was only there to socialize. If Finn came up to the main roster anytime soon, it was going to be a given that he'd be the next chosen one. In fact, it seemed that he already was. This was bad news for the WWE champion.

His thoughts were interrupted when AJ grabbed his warm hands in her ice-cold ones, the sudden shock from the temperature making him jump. "Seth, I love you," she told him once more, her eyes holding his. "I don't know why you're worrying yourself over something so silly. I know just as much as you do. He was there, he caused trouble during your match, and it looked like he'll eventually want to challenge you. But that's where it ends."

Seth cleared his throat. "Not that it would concern me or anything, but he might've mentioned...he implied that.." Seth had a hard time making the words flow together, and he realized that maybe he didn't want to know the truth. His mind was going crazy.

Maybe he should have some more trust in AJ. But why would Finn lie to him?

AJ quirked her eyebrow, her hands still holding his. Hers had warmed considerably since, her eyes still locked on his, longing for him to tell her what was bothering him.

"You and Finn never...you know."

"Oh my god, no. I wasn't even ready for a relationship at that point, let alone let someone I only just met bang me in the NXT shower room," her expression looked shocked, surprised that was even brought up. "Did he say that we did?"

Seth bit his lip. "I mean, in more words than that."

"Do you believe him?"

He studied AJ's face for a long time. _Did he believe that more had happened? And if so, again, why would it really concern him?_

But the more he searched her face for any falter, the more he realized that it was highly probable that she was telling the truth. When he thought of how she'd first reacted to him when they'd initially met, she was still so very broken-hearted over her ex-husband that she made it perfectly clear that she'd rather keep to herself. And while some women would just chomp through dudes after a divorce just to feel happy and loved, AJ wasn't like most women.

"No, I don't. I guess I just wanted to hear you say it," he admitted.

Leaning down, she kissed his scratchy face, slowly making her kisses trace their way to his lips.

"You need to trust me," she whispered, before deepening the kiss. He pulled her on top of him, allowing her to straddle his fully clothed body, running his hands along her sides, each of the Ninja Turtles on her shirt staring down on him. He kissed her back, feeling himself get more aroused as she pressed down into him. He was needing and wanting already, eager to push the evening's events out of his mind for awhile.

"You need to trust me, too," he said finally.

In response, she whipped her shirt off, tossing it on the floor.


	29. Chapter 28

**So here's what happened: I wrote the next chapter, then completely deleted the entire thing without backing it up because that's my life and I learned nothing in high school. So I re-wrote it, hated it, and re-wrote it again. So hopefully this version is decent. Here she goes again! What'd you guys think of the last chapter? Why exactly did Finn Balor go after Seth? What's up the goth princess, Zahra Schreiber's, witchy sleeve?  
**

* * *

"I don't know, Dad," Stephanie McMahon sat at the long conference table with the other creative team members. Mr. McMahon was on speakerphone, his words commandeering and sharp to those that sat in the room. "We've set up Paige and AJ once more, and hopefully we can feud those two properly this time around. Bringing real-life into this isn't a great idea, given AJ and Seth's pasts..."

"Look, all I'm saying is for the greatest stories to be told, there needs to be a little bit of truth in them. If we plant the seeds that there is more going on with Finn Balor and AJ to the fans, they'll grab that idea and run with it. Since AJ and Seth have gone fairly public with their relationship at this point, our fans know that they are exclusive."

"Maybe, but I don't want to cause any more gaps in their personal lives," she argued, glad that she wasn't able to be seen by Vince.

"Why waste the opportunity, though? My sources tell me that AJ and Balor got along famously in Florida. It'll hardly be acting on their parts. Plus, we've already got the recording of Paige and Seth's meeting in the locker room. It's a simple way to begin a feud between the two men, catapulting Finn into the proper bracketing for the future. That being said, I've got to meet with Hunter to get him to drop the NXT title-"

"There really could be a better way," Stephanie argued weakly, but she was on the losing end here. Turn the two women against each other, turn the men against each other, and there ought to be a solid story, right? Well, it made sense in Vince's uncanny mind. She rubbed her temples, trying to avoid eye contact with her team. If she showed weakness in front of them, she'd be played like a damned fiddle. Yet, when it came to her Dad, he just didn't seem to see things the way she did anymore. Meddling in her stars' personal lives wasn't something she wanted to do anymore.

"Nonsense, Steph. I expect an audio clip between Seth and Paige to be edited and sent to me promptly. We'll dub the scene, play it as a story enhancer, and in the next few weeks, we can create some heat between the two male champions. In the meantime, it'll show Paige is sly and AJ Lee is just smitten with a pretty boy. She moves on to Finn...and all is well."

"We've really tried to branch out from love triangles, though," Stephanie pointed out. "Don't you think it's setting women's wrestling back a ways?"

"Well, Steph, to be honest, no. There are so many women who aren't doing a darned thing on the roster. Neither of those women are even on the horizon for the championship, so we are essentially doing them a favor and giving them television time. Something to do while we let Charlotte run with the title for awhile."

With an exasperated sigh, Stephanie McMahon finally agreed. Unfortunately, he had a point. And if he was willing to get the ball rolling in Finn Balor's direction, things would look up for the company. Some of the men and women seated around her held their lips together in grim lines, not wanting to make their personal opinions known-you simply don't cross the boss. Others nodded their heads, scratching whatever ideas they had bouncing around onto their legal pads.

Whatever the outcome, Stephanie McMahon truly hoped she didn't lose very talented athletes over something so... _stupid._

* * *

It had been two weeks since Seth had been faced with the Demon King, the budding storyline from the uppers becoming more clear each day. The latest, he'd heard, was that Finn Balor would be dropping his NXT title to Samoa Joe, a wrestling phenomenon that deserved to hold gold just as much as the latter. Once this happened at an NXT Takeover event, it was all a matter of time before Finn Balor made his official debut to the main roster.

Seth couldn't help but to feel uneasy about this transition. He knew Finn deserved everything he got, yet at the same time, the last interacting with him had certainly left a bitter taste in the back of his mouth, watchful and aware of his every move. Even if he eventually dropped the title to the newcomer, he was more worried about the blurred lines between professionalism and personal life between the other man and his very newly, public girlfriend, AJ Lee.

It wasn't that he didn't trust AJ, because he did. But the way things had been going for the pair had been hell. Between the fights about his nutjob ex-girlfriends to Finn dropping hints that he'd shown April his ceiling, Seth knew that it was just a matter of time before his time as the "Face of the Authority" was about to burn up. He'd be pushed aside eventually, Balor taking complete control of the heel persona that Seth had been granted. Whatever was coming from the creative team was _big_ , and he knew it. The last few weeks of writing were so basic and noncommittal that it was clear they were planning something that would shake things up monumentally.

"What's eating you, Gilbert Grape?" AJ sat down on his hotel bed, her white towel still wrapped around her from the shower she'd just emerged from. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her, nestling into her freshly washed hair. Pressing his lips against the back of her head, he allowed her to lean back into him, nestling against his core.

"Just the direction of creative," he admitted, though kept his main concern under lock and key. "The last few shows have been...shit. Embarrassing. Whatever it is they're planning, it's not going to turn out good for me."

"Hmmm," she nestled against him, drawing his arms to wrap around her. "Maybe things are going so well for you, you're fearful that it won't last forever?"

Seth chuckled a little. "Maybe, but it's more than that. I've been going through the motions with no direction, and it sucks. I know they're priming Balor to take the belt, which is fine..."

"Seth, knock it off," AJ muttered. "Don't you think your preoccupation with Finn has been going on a bit long?"

"Seeing as he has the potential to take everything from me? Not really," Seth muttered in response, and AJ sat up straighter, turning to face him.

"I'm still going to be here, no matter if he has that stupid belt or not," she took both his hands in hers, now kneeling in front of him, the white towel beginning to give. If he wasn't so frustrated with the show that evening, he would have taken it upon himself to pull the tiny bit of Egyptian cotton to complete the unraveling, allowing for his breathtaking girl to flaunt her body.

"AJ...I do believe you when you say you two weren't together. But it's clear that his sights are still set on you, and I'll be damned if he takes the belt and you, too."

AJ made a half giggle, half snorting sound. "I've got what I need, right here...in front of me," she purred, slowly crawling towards the Architect, brushing her lips onto his. In an instant, Seth gave in to her. Sure, he'd been annoyed at his eventual replacement popping in to his life, but still he found that AJ was able to completely clear his mind. He didn't have any self-control when it came to her.

Suddenly, AJ pulled back, a look of surprise on her face. "Oh my gosh! I'm sorry for the total random thought, but my old buddy Colt Cabana has been blowing up my phone for actual weeks. I hate asking you, but all my old things from Chicago...well, I need to keep them somewhere. Do you mind if I keep them in your basement until I buy a condo?"

Seth gave her a lazy smile, then kissed her once more. "Timing is kind of off for this discussion," he replied, pointing to the obscene tent that had formed beneath his black sweats, "But nonetheless, it's something I've been rolling around in my head for awhile."

"You've been wanting me to ask that your house be a small storage unit until I actually have time to start looking for an actual place to live?"

Seth kissed her forehead, his eyes sparkling. "No, not quite. One second," he swung his legs around to the side of the bed, his bare feet making small pats against the hotel room floor. He finally got to his black jacket, pulling out a little envelope from the breast pocket.

"I've been thinking...since it's been hectic for you and all, that maybe if you needed somewhere to stay..." his words were all sorts of jumbled, and he clearly hadn't rehearsed whatever he was going to say to her.

AJ quirked an eyebrow in response, pulling the towel tighter around her as the fabric began to sag.

"Well, here," he placed the envelope in front of her, which she carefully opened. It was a spare key.

"Seth...are you...what?"

"Well, I was just thinking that you might have time off while I don't. You're going to run your bank account dry staying in hotels and stuff every time you have off. You might as well have some kind of sanctuary. You can just put your things in the guest bedroom until you've got a potential home of your own..." he trailed off, unable to finish the rest of his thought.

"Continue," AJ demanded. "I know you've got more to say, but you don't have the right words. Spit 'em out."

Seth laughed, stretching his arms up over his head. "I mean, unless you don't want to start looking for your own place. You can always just stay with me."

AJ gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "That's pretty serious, Seth. Are you sure that you want to do that?"

"I'm sure, sweetcheeks," he drawled, dropping back on to the bed before tilting her chin up towards his face. "I'm sure about you, about us, and about what I want this to be in the long run. Fuck what the company thinks about it, you know? No matter who they bring in for me to square off with, and no matter who they want me to drop the belt to...the only thing I know for sure is that I want to come back to something real. And...before you, things have never felt so certain before. I love you more than I ever thought possible, April."

"Aren't you worried this seems to be kind of...moving fast?"

Seth gave her a look of worry. "Not to me, no. There have been all kinds of enemies coming out of the woodwork, and we've proven ourselves stronger than they are. But if you're worried that it's moving too fast, that's okay. But please, take the key. Like I said, even in the meantime, you can use my Iowa home to go to when you have a few days off at a time."

"Thank you, Seth," she replied quietly. She took the envelope from the bed, slipping it into her black cross-body bag that she normally carried around with her everywhere. "That's very sweet. I'll try to get hold of Colt and see if we have a common time to meet there. I know his wife or whatever is starting to get antsy about all my stuff in his house."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did Colt get it? All of your belongings, I mean?"

AJ gave a weak smile. "By sheer, dumb luck. It was either that, or Phil was gonna donate them. When I left, you know, I didn't have much time to pack. So I packed my essentials, hopped on the bus, and didn't look back. As awful as it was, I knew that deep down I was making the right decision. Anyway, Phil had asked Colt to help him load some stuff to be donated to Goodwill one weekend, and once Colt got there, he realized that all the things that were to be 'donated' were all of my collectible things. Phil's new...love interest...baby mama, whatever...she had been remodeling my gaming room into a damned nursery and wanted to see the stuff I'd left behind out the door. So instead of loading my stuff on to a trailer, Colt's been hanging on to it for me. But yeah, he's been pretty adamant about getting it out of his spare room. I just haven't had anywhere to take it to, yet."

Seth took in her words, not replying. He drew a breath. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that," he said finally. "I want to make sure you don't ever have to feel that sort of pain again."

AJ gave him a lopsided grin, kissing the corner of his mouth. "I love you, Seth," she stated simply. She was on cloud nine with him.

* * *

During Smackdown the next day, the creative team had finally gotten the approved clip to air. The tiny interaction between Paige and Seth had been caught on camera, and with tons of editing, the team had managed to forge an entire conversation between the pair, despite the exchange never actually happening. Seth had recognized the scene as the time where Paige had offered a truce, admitting that as much as she didn't like Seth getting involved with her friend, she wasn't going to be added to the list of people who wished them apart, either. The camera panned the locker room, slowly focusing on Paige and Seth sitting next to each other, both smirking. The camera backed away, and Paige began to speak.

Seth had watched alongside Kevin Owens, who didn't believe that the footage was edited. Whoever had spliced the words had done a phenomenal job, and it looked authentic. Deep down, he knew that AJ would think it was an actual conversation, too. After the evening they'd had together the night before, Seth could only hope that AJ would still trust him. Still, the camera appeared to be a hidden camera and was so well-done and convincing, it didn't look at all like regular WWE programming.

 _"I know things have been heating up for you and my old friend,"_ Paige said in the clip, though Seth had never heard her say those before that moment. _"But I think you and I have been on the same page for a long time."_

 _"She's just a way to keep the championship belt around my waist,"_ Seth heard himself say. But his voice was manipulated, more obvious that his words had been multiple promos dissected and meshed into a coherent sentence. _"You know what they say about crazy chicks."_

 _"I sure do. I've got a proposition for you. You keep luring in AJ, and I'll be certain to give you exactly what you want, Champ."_ Seth watched on the screen as he shook hands with the raven-haired woman, both of them smiling. If he didn't know better, it would look really, really bad. Realizing that his girlfriend probably wasn't aware that it was a reconstructed segment, worry began to overtake him as he searched through the contacts on his phone. She was backstage here somewhere, but wasn't participating in any matches for the evening. He guessed that _this_ was exactly why she hadn't been scheduled to appear.

Kevin laughed heartily after the segment faded to black the commercials about the newest Mattel wrestling ring beginning to play. "You little player, you," he chided.

"It's not how it looks!" Seth defended himself, his face panic-stricken. "C'mon, man. Paige and I haven't seen eye-to-eye on my relationship with AJ at all. Whatever just happened...didn't actually happen like that," he hit 'send' on his phone, hoping that AJ hadn't been paying any attention to the show that night.

"Man, I don't know. That doesn't look like kayfabe," Kevin thought aloud. "And by the way you're reacting, I know it wasn't scripted. Here I thought Paige didn't actually like you...but now it kind of makes sense.."

"Seriously, fuck off!" Seth growled, frustrated both with Kevin Owens and the fact that his girlfriend hadn't responded to his text message yet. "That segment was completely edited! And the only reason they did it was because AJ and I specifically asked to keep our relationship off from WWE television. A damned punishment by the McMahon family, if I ever saw one!" Seth was seething, ready to barge into Stephanie McMahon's office next.

Kevin put his hands up in defense. "Alright, man. Chill! I'm just telling you how it looks," he replied, over-pronouncing his letter "U" as many Canadians tended to do.

"I know how it fucking looks," Seth muttered, checking his phone once more for the text he hadn't yet received.

* * *

AJ's mouth was still agape, even though the segment had long-ended.

She thought it was weird that she hadn't been scheduled to appear that night, but it made sense now. The writers were using a hidden camera to gain momentum on the story, and it wasn't necessary that she be on the show if they had plenty of footage to push the feud between herself and Paige forward. On one hand, she was wise enough to know that the WWE writers were conniving enough to create _whatever_ they wanted out of a segment, even if it wasn't authentic. But the way it was shot, and the way that Seth and Paige had been speaking abashedly...as much as AJ wanted to believe it was a scripted promo, it definitely didn't appear that way. It seemed that Seth and Paige were in cahoots, which almost made sense. Paige hadn't been supportive of their relationship since day one, and why not? Could it possibly be because she'd had her eye on Seth the entire time?

AJ gulped, taking the idea in. Sure, Paige had been seeing what's-his-name, but whose to say she wouldn't jump on the WWE Champion if the opportunity presented itself? Wasn't is possible that Paige had been feigning her disinterest in Rollins because she was technically seeing someone? And if that was true, too, of course Paige would discourage the relationship Seth and AJ had begun.

And as for Seth, his words in the promo seemed plausible...especially given his recent explosion when Finn had appeared at an event. His prized possession was the belt, and that was frustrating for AJ. Sure, she'd held a belt before, but Seth had taken it to another level. Keep AJ on his good side, he keeps Finn Balor at bay, too.

Jesus, was she overthinking this?

 _It's not real, it's only a script..._ AJ reminded herself of this over and over until it was practically a mantra. Yet, somewhere deep inside, she felt that it might not be completely fake. If it was a scripted bit, certainly Seth would've told her about it? Or at the very least, Paige would have?

Or, it was possible that neither of them had mentioned it airing because neither of them was aware it existed at all. She knew that the management wasn't happy that neither she nor Seth would put their relationship on air, and it was possible that this was punishment because of their unwillingness to do just that. Obviously, she'd been thrown in a storyline with Paige and Seth was thrown in a storyline with Finn Balor, but this seemed too surreal to have been done by accident. No, the writers knew exactly why they were doing what they were doing.

And now, AJ wasn't sure if they'd chosen Paige because they had no other option, or because like AJ had a former connection to Finn, Paige and Seth had been connected as well...

She was suddenly aware of the text she hadn't yet opened, her phone buzzing quietly to remind her that it was there. Unlocking her screen, she'd realized she'd gotten not one, but three text messages from Seth. Another from Paige. Two from Colt, and one from an unknown number.

 ** _What the? What's up with that?_**

 ** _Swing by my room later. Whatever that was, was BS._**

 ** _Please say something. I'm thinking Vince is mad or something._**

Opting to stay quiet for the time being so that she didn't say anything she might regret, she moved on to the other messages.

 _ **What the actual fuck? Why would production DO that?**_ Paige had texted, and AJ felt a little bit better. It wasn't completely impossible that the entire segment that evening was staged, after all.

 _ **Got your message. I can either mail you the packages, or you can meet me this weekend?**_ That text was from Colt, and he'd accidentally sent it twice.

 _ **Hey, AJ. Finn here, got a new number. Just saw that weird thing between Seth and Paige. Either the team did a great job editing, or that was real. Sketchy if you ask me.**_

Her mind in a total blur, AJ went back to the texts from Seth. Of all people, she'd sincerely hoped she could trust him. They'd come a long way since their earlier times spent together, and as much as she wanted to believe he was completely head over heels in love with her as he claimed, sometimes there was that nagging voice in the back of her head that reminded her that she wasn't good enough.

Part of her, no matter how deeply she hid it, believed that her friend Paige would have been a more viable option for Seth. She fit into the type he'd acquainted himself with, after all...

 _It's not real. It was just writing._

But then, as Finn had mentioned, that whole thing seemed really weird. And, she reminded herself, the WWE hardly ever gave a second thought to proper editing, the most extreme the got usually being Undertaker's unnecessary lightning or Bray Wyatt's smog during their promos. She wanted to trust that Paige and Seth were telling the truth, but still, she found herself feeling very uneasy.

The last thing she wanted was to be let down again, and it almost seemed like that's what was going to happen...again.

* * *

Seth watched as the show closed, the very same image appearing on the screen that he'd experienced firsthand. It was the same scenario he'd unfortunately seen when Finn Balor had made an appearance on the main roster, toting around his NXT title like he was hot shit.

 _How in the fuck did a camera capture that?_

Finn Balor leaving AJ's locker room, a smirk on his face and a clear look of admiration on hers. Unlike Seth's falsified interaction earlier in the evening with Paige-which was completely edited-there were no words exchanged between his enemy and his girlfriend. There didn't need to be. Just as it had a few weeks past, it looked as incriminating as it had when he'd first seen it.

As much as he wanted to believe that there was nothing between Finn Balor and AJ, there were telltale signs that she adored him.

 _She ought to be looking at_ me _that way_ , Seth thought angrily. Yet, the cameraman had managed to capture the gleam that was in her eye as she watched him swagger down the hallway, and the jealousy within began to rear its ugly head once more. Even if AJ was completely pissed off over the segment aired between himself and Paige, at least it was one-hundred percent fabricated and manipulated. This bit? Well, he'd seen the original version himself: AJ Lee still had a soft spot for Balor.

As the WWE logo appeared on the bottom of the screen, the camera followed Finn as he walked down the hallway, just as he had a couple weeks ago. Seth got up in a hurry, pushing his chair in to the table he'd been seated at. Kevin still sat beside him, and wisely decided not to say a word as he clamored to his feet.

Seth quickly glanced at his phone, noticing that AJ hadn't replied to his text message from earlier. In a fit of frustration and anger, he shoved it into his sweatshirt pocket. It was his turn to be pissed off.


	30. Chapter 29

**As ya'll know, I'm also writing an OC story, which has prominently taken over my time here. I will finish this, though, I promise! I may have mentioned that I am thinking about re-writing my completed story (Reigns/OC) because I can and because I think I can write it better than I left it. Hmmmm.  
**

* * *

AJ definitively decided that, after the prior evening's show, she should really tip-toe around her boyfriend. Seth hadn't spoken to her since the closing segment had aired, and with good reason. While AJ knew it was possible that the backstage segment between Seth and Paige wasn't real, she also knew with certainty the closing bit between herself and Finn Balor was quite genuine. And while she was enamored with The Architect, there was something about Finn Balor that had kept her insides feeling warm and fuzzy. Perhaps because he was such a good, nice all-around person; and he was kind to her when she'd initially shown up at the NXT training center.

That didn't mean, though, that she wanted to be with him or anything, but Seth seemed to think differently. He already disliked Finn, already felt like he was being replaced by the demon in every aspect within the company. While AJ thought he was being pretty damned childish over it, she didn't want to say anything, either. After all, hadn't she had to endure attacks by both Zahra and Leighla in regards to her relationship with Seth? Meanwhile, Punk kept his opinions out of it, as a person should.

Today, she was meeting Paige for coffee, who had literally been begging her since the previous night to hear her out. AJ was feeling skeptical, her dear friend having acted kind of sketchy in the past. Paige was young, and AJ wondered that if she'd do anything she could to get to the top...including step on people's toes and use their boyfriend to launch upward. After all, Paige had faded into obscurity while Charlotte Flair ran the show.

AJ waited at the Starbucks near their hotel, waiting for Seth to text her. She silently willed him to, placing her phone in front of her on the wooden table as she sipped from her warm, white cup. It was a bit too hot yet, but still, the warm liquid replaced the empty feeling she had from the lack of contact from Seth.

Interrupting her thoughts, the petite British diva stepped into the shop. A few older guys in the back corner turned to look at her, eyeballed her, and turned back around. She wore tiny little skinny jeans and a plain black crop top, her feet shuffling towards AJ with black and white Vans.

"Sorry I'm late, poppet," she smiled as she sat her bag down, beginning to dig for her wallet. "Let me just grab my drink, and we'll give a quick chat."

A few short minutes later, she returned with a creamy cappuccino in her hand, complete with a mound of whipped cream. "Cheat day," she declared, sliding into the chair across from AJ. She licked the point of whipped cream, managing to get a dab on her nose. Both women laughed at the ridiculousness of it.

"So, the management is clearly trying to pit us all against each other," Paige went straight to the point. "Whoever is doing their editing-and I'm guessing it was Kevin Dunn, because he's a slimeball rat like that-did a really great, believable job."

AJ shot the younger woman a look that she hoped revealed that she didn't believe that story.

"Seriously, AJ," Paige plead. "I've been a good friend since the beginning. Don't you recall how I reacted so harshly after the photos leaked online of you and Rollins?"

"I do," AJ admitted. "But then I began to wonder if maybe it was a jealousy thing? Because you've never been supportive of my relationship with Seth, and you've always been pushing me in Finn's direction. I'm beginning to wonder if it's my own friend that's pinning me against someone I love. What are you doing on the side? Trading stories and break-up ideas with Zahra? Wouldn't surprise me."

Paige looked at AJ as though she'd just slapped her in the face. "Seriously, AJ? Don't you see now why I warned you? First off, Seth Rollins is a cheating bastard, and so is the man you married a few years ago. So _ex-cuuuse_ me for being critical of your choice to hop into bed with him. Secondly, don't you see what the relationship is doing to you? Yeah, you're happy and all when you're together, but he's got a string of evil wenches wishing him bad fortune. They've all personally attacked you, and what do you do? Go on and believe that _every_ damned woman that has contact with him is going to hurt you?! I thought our friendship was more solid than that!" Paige's face was blotchy and red, her burst of anger now showing clearly on her face. AJ had never seen the woman so worked up in a social situation as she normally saved her pent-up anger and frustration in the ring.

Paige began to close up her bag, ready to leave the place in a fit of fury. "I can't believe this shit. I knew they were trying to pin us against each other, and I don't like it, but I'll accept it. Whatever it is that's going on in your pretty little head, though, you really ought to sort out. Me? Be interested in damned Rollins? Get serious!" Paige whipped her black and blue hair as she turned to walk out, not bothering to apologize to the onlookers nor the staff for causing such a scene.

AJ said nothing, letting her anger cool before she got up from her chair.

 _Just lovely. Managed to ruin things between me and my boyfriend and my best friend in the same week! Gold star for me,_ AJ thought bitterly. She knew she was probably acting crazy, but at the same time, the amount of outside forces trying to tear her away from happiness was beginning to overwhelm her. She knew she loved Seth, and Seth loved her back...but would things be this complicated if she had ended up with Finn? It was something that she was beginning to wonder.

* * *

Zahra grabbed at her phone quickly, glad that he'd finally fucking called. She'd been waiting weeks to hear from him. To hear anything at all, actually.

"Matthew," she said icily, full of hate. She had paid off Lord West quite awhile ago, and had been anxiously awaiting the outcome of the meeting that he'd pitched to the writers. Unfortunately, Matthew never called, and he hadn't bothered to answer any of hers. In fact, she hadn't even gotten to make good on her promise to fuck his damned brains out.

"Hey, Zee," his voice seemed dragged down, as though he was tired. Or really, really high...which was probably more likely. "Sorry I haven't been around much."

"Yeah, no shit," she replied. "I was over here, expecting you to change the WWE's minds on me. I was ready to pull out my trusty 'ol boots to step in the ring with Sethie's new little side whore. Instead, I'm waiting to snatch up any modeling gigs my agent cant hook me up with. Like, c'mon, Matty. The money is fine in modeling, but it isn't flowing to the point where I can live the lifestyle I want to."

Matt coughed into the phone, and it sounded like he'd re-positioned his phone against his ear. Zahra cringed at the sound of scraping in her own ear, imagining his phone gliding over the diamond stud he wore in his lobe.

"Yeah, about that...I tried. Vince, as you know, was all for the controversy. But Stephanie McMahon wasn't having it, and now, the whole storyline is going in a different direction."

"But I'm not involved in it," Zahra pointed out. "So, I don't really see how you carried out your job."

"Well, that's the thing. With the storyline they created, it's almost a given that AJ will fall for Finn Balor. That leaves Seth all by his lonesome. And, Zahra, where do you think he's going to run to first once his relationship with AJ crumbles?"

Zahra gave a sharp laugh. "Okay, but how do you know that she's going to head straight for the other guy?"

"Because I know," Matthew replied.

"Fuck off, Matty. How?"

"Because I talked to him, and he wants her, bad. He was all for the storyline including AJ Lee, because if she's forced to work with him, he thinks he can really charm the pants off from her. Literally."

 _Hmm...very interesting._

"So he's not as nice of a guy as she thinks?" she asked. "Because if that's the case, she's going to freak the fuck out when she finds out that he's only interested in boning her."

"That's all logistics. Not our problem. Basically, they are trying to set up AJ and this guy. She'll probably end up managing him, he'll wind up taking the belt, and hopefully he takes Seth's girl."

"And how do you know this is all happening, again?" she squinted, as though she didn't quite believe what Matthew was saying. Sure, he couldn't see her, but she still did it as though she was detecting straight up bullshit.

Matthew coughed. "Because they hired me to write for this story."

Zahra's jaw dropped. "I can't believe you didn't tell me!" she said finally, both pissed and amazed at her friend.

"I didn't want to disappoint you, knowing that things didn't completely go the way that we wanted it to...but I've also been very, very busy pitching different scenarios and ideas for this. The way things are heading as of last night, though...well, I think I've done some seriously great editing to make it look like Seth is just as much a playboy as he's ever been."

"That was _you?_ " Zahra breathed, impressed. She'd watched the show the other night, but never in a million years suspected that Matt had any knowledge of video editing. Not to mention, the quality was so professional and well-done, it looked _real._ The exchange between Seth and the British woman he'd appeared with was brief, and if not for the camera clearly not focusing on their faces, she would've thought the conversation was authentic. However, she'd watched enough reality television in her life to know that if the camera wasn't on the people's mouths, it was likely they didn't say those words at all.

"It sure was. There are cracks in the glass, now. Because of this, the trust is already breaking between them. Like I said before, AJ's mental state is weak, to say the least. Seth looks like he's a straight player...and Finn Balor looks like a knight in shining armor. Or at least, he will, once we continue the story just right. I think I've got something great, here. Trust me, Zee. In the end, Seth is going to be the one hurting, just as you want."

When Matthew said those final words, Zahra Schreiber knew she should've felt bad. She was being immature, willing to bring down Seth at any cost necessary. She'd paid off Leighla for information, for fuck's sake! But in Zahra's defense, she had been blacklisted, and because of _him_ , she would never be able to wrestle with another promotion. Her ties to him meant no company, whether it be Ring of Honor, WWE, TNA...whatever, would even come close to a deal with her.

And while she was struggling, he was busy in bed with some short little weirdo that wasn't even cute!

Reminding herself that Seth was the ultimate reason her life had fallen apart, she no longer felt shame for ruining his. If he refused to talk to her any longer, well, then she'd have to continue eating at him from the inside-using the career he so loved. And now that she had Matthew on the inner circle of things, she was sure that things would finally go her way.

"So, how are we going to isolate Seth?" she clicked her long, blood-red nails against the glass top of her table. "How do we take him out of the picture so that things can...blossom, so to speak, between this Finn guy and the little dweeb?"

Matthew chuckled into the phone. "That's why I called. I have a really, really good plan. But it's going to involve money."

Zahra rolled her eyes. "Of course it is. Whatever, let's hear it."

* * *

"Okay, bud. You gotta say something," Kevin Owens watched as Seth drove their rental car, the last thirty miles or so having been wordless. Normally, he'd want to spend the time in the car with the spitfire of a girlfriend, but today, Seth was so shaky and unfocused that he knew he couldn't handle the awkward conversation between them that would surely take place.

He had been battling with himself all yesterday evening and most of today. He didn't know what to say to AJ or how to bring up the fucked up booking. He had never had a relationship within the company, and didn't know how to handle this type of mess. He also knew that she clearly had some kind of feelings for Finn Balor, even though she wouldn't admit them aloud. It was apparent, and he really didn't like the way he felt.

Like maybe he wasn't good enough for someone like her.

"Look. Paige sent me a text, saying she had it out with AJ. AJ thinks there might actually be something going on between you two. The sooner you two figure out your drama, the sooner your friends are no longer caught in the line of fire."

Seth scoffed, still not answering. Paige had actually sent him the same text before they'd hit the road, but he ignored it. He wasn't about to get involved in chick fights, let alone one with the woman who, until a few weeks ago, hated his existence. So much, in fact, that she had no intention of allowing AJ to go for him, certain that she'd wind up broken in pieces again.

"The thing is, Seth...you and AJ are good together," Kevin was still talking. "She mellows you out, lets you be yourself. You aren't trying to impress everyone anymore, you're finally the Seth that was underneath the materialistic shit. Y'know, slowly bringing your head outta the clouds. But when you and AJ aren't on good terms, everyone else needs to suffer, too. You two really ought to figure out what the fuck is going on."

Finally, Seth's eye contact broke off the road to look at his passenger.

"She cares for someone else," he said plainly, not masking the annoyance. "It was clear as day."

"O-kay," Kevin drawled. "That literally means nothing, man. So what? She made a friend in NXT. I've made loads of friends there, too. But that doesn't mean I want to take Carmella to the Kevin Owens Show, if you know what I mean...even if she is hot. Maybe it's because it's the first relationship you've actually been in with no bullshit. You don't know how to act, so you create bullshit that isn't there."

"You saw her face on that segment. That was real. And if she actually thinks that there's something between Paige and myself? That's not good. No, not good at all."

Kevin sighed a huge sigh, one that children normally did when their parents weren't listening to their reasoning.

"What?" Seth snarled, his voice gravelly. "If she can't trust me working with fuckin' _Paige_ , don't you think that ought to raise some red flags?"

"I hate to bring this up, but she's had to deal with both of your whackjob ex-girlfriends. And you know Zahra's not gonna fuck off that easily...I'm sure there's more going on. She's like a snake...plotting and evil."

Seth laughed once, knowing that Kevin was being truthful while speaking of Zahra. When the black-haired beauty did anything, she did it for herself. To get a leg up in her career, her standing, her personal life. And while he was so caught up in her exotic...everything, he was being ignorant and hadn't realized how awful of a human she actually was.

"Not to mention the fangirls," Kevin pointed out. "And boys. You never know. It's not just those two that are heartbroken over your relationship status, I'm sure."

"Okay, fine, I get your point," Seth gave in. "I don't like feeling like I'm being replaced," he admitted quietly.

"Being replaced? Nobody can replace you, be real. As great a guy Finn is, you're still Seth Rollins. So what if he takes the belt when you finally square off? So what if you wind up losing your spot with the Authority? The way I see it, is that's all a good thing."

"Without the Authority, I don't know if I'd have anything left. I cut ties with my brothers to gain the success I have. In a way, I don't know if that makes me any better than Zahra. It makes me wonder if AJ is too good for me."

Kevin now wore a shocked look. "Okay, first of all, you can make things right with Ambrose and Reigns. I don't buy the shit that they'll never forgive you, because I guarantee that, given the opportunity, they'd have done the same. If your hunch is right, and Finn Balor steps in to the Authority to take over your role and shafting you, you can always go back with your tail tucked between your legs. They at least deserve the apology."

"As for AJ being too good for you? Shut up," Kevin was still on with his monologue, and it was slowly making Seth feel more at peace with everything. "If she wanted to be with Balor, she would've been. There's a reason she's not. I'm not saying she reacted well to the whole thing with Paige. She's in the wrong there. She, of all people, should know how stupid and conniving the creative team is sometimes. On the other hand, you also need to realize that she's still fragile, and this is her first relationship after...y'know."

Seth nodded, realizing that AJ had her heart crushed upon finding out that someone she loved had ended up cheating on her with someone she had adored and respected. And while there wasn't the same history between himself and Paige that there had been between Punk and Lita, he supposed he couldn't blame her for being careful.

"Please, just knock your shit off," Kevin drawled, watching out the window. "When we stop, text her. Talk to her. Anything."

* * *

Finn Balor sat opposite of the writer, the mug of coffee emerging steam as it cooled in front of him. He had to admit, this was the first time he'd had a one-on-one conference with a member of the creative team. While he was sure that it would be frowned upon, it had to be good, right?

After all, he'd learned during the last meeting that he'd be pulled to eventually fight Seth Rollins, and the Authority would help the current NXT champion dethrone the WWE champ. He'd hold both titles for awhile, eventually losing to the likes of Samoa Joe. It was a dream come true. Not to mention, it was nice to bring Seth Rollins down a few notches. That slimeball really needed to be reminded that there wasn't much special about him.

The horrible writing, on the other hand, involved Paige and AJ Lee. Whoever thought of getting them involved with the feud really ought to have been fired. There was no room for love and childish games in the main event picture, yet it was something that the WWE was seemingly notorious for. And while he didn't really understand it, he hoped that eventually, the women's feud would fall to the wayside, the spotlight being only on Seth and himself.

"I called you here," the man had his fingers pointed together in a triangle shape, "To make you an offer. A quite generous one, at that."

Finn was listening intently now.

"I've got a friend who is...an investor, of sorts. And she is interested in investing in you."

Finn raised an eyebrow.

"She is willing to offer her entire share of WWE stocks to you. All you've got to do is injure Seth Rollins."


	31. Chapter 30

**Yeah, so...if you'd like to read more of my things, I am also writing an OC/Styles story. I'm specifically happy with that one. :)  
**

* * *

"The thing with AJ is, she has been such a great friend. But, isn't it concerning that she comes in and gets whatever she wants? Because I think it's a real riot. Well, my dear little crumpet, the problem with that is that things have changed quite a bit. And to be honest, so have I. I don't want to be compared to the infamous AJ Lee. I want to be Paige, and I want to start on my own path without you on it. And frankly, my dear, unless you're out of my way, I'm never going to be a champion again."

Paige was giving a solid backstage promo, Renee Young expressing faux concern as the black-haired diva spouted the nonsense that she was fed earlier in the evening.

"And how does that transition into your relationship with Seth Rollins?" Renee asked, being fed the question through a tiny earpiece covered by her hair. She had been against the interview, not liking the dabble in real-life by the WWE producers. It was well-known that she was in a relationship with Dean Ambrose, and she kept it far away from the cameras for as long as AJ could remember. Maybe it was Dean's preference, but from what she knew of him, he was extremely private and didn't want to be turned into a storyline.

 _Smart man._

"AJ's history has shown that if a cute boy is in the way, she makes awful choices. Just ask Daniel Bryan, John Cena, and even Kane."

AJ breathed a small sigh of relief that she'd left CM Punk off that list, though she supposed the producers had told her not to list off the straight-edge superstar. Not everyone got the hint, though, as some of the "CM Punk" chants began from the crowd.

"So obviously, the best way to get AJ to break? Bring in a cute face. Seth and I have an agreement here. He led on AJ, and now I owe him one."

"And...speaking of owing him one," Stephanie McMahon suddenly appeared on camera, as though she was listening in the whole time, "I have quite a match set for you. Seth Rollins and Paige, versus AJ Lee and a superstar of my choice," she gave a hearty smile. Paige made a face, and Stephanie gave a fake laugh.

"What's wrong? You two should easily be able to handle anything that's thrown your way," Stephanie smiled brilliantly, a smug look shining on her face.

Paige muttered an agreement before the camera cut to commercial break.

AJ sighed, crossing and uncrossing her arms. Paige hadn't spoken to her in a week, and although she was speaking to Seth, things were shaky between them at best. Last she knew, her boxes of collectibles had been delivered to his home. But with the awkwardness of the new storyline and Finn Balor's apparent main roster call-up, she hadn't been able to confirm that news. She hadn't really been able to see Seth at all, which was really unfortunate.

But, that was the life of a WWE superstar. She started remembering exactly why she'd left the company to begin with: meddling in personal affairs, awful creative decisions, and impossible schedules. Even if she wanted to spend time with Seth within the last week, it would've been quite hard. He had some signings with Toys 'R Us in the nearby cities, and she was busy with dumb photo shoots. She had, however, been approached by producers for the WWE Network, who wanted to film her comeback story for a show they'd been working on called "24."

That, she thought, she might actually agree to.

Regardless, one was a lonely number, and she pined for feeling Seth's warmth against her. Shoot, she'd even be fine for Seth being in the same room.

"That ought to be interesting," Dolph Ziggler appeared from nowhere, the backstage monitor she'd been watching from now circled with her colleagues. "Who do you think it'll be?" he wiggled an eyebrow, and AJ shrugged. She knew who it was, of course; the NXT champion was set to make yet another appearance tonight. This match would set off a whole slew of promos between shows between Finn Balor and Seth Rollins, setting up for next month's pay-per-view. There, Rollins would drop his belt to Balor.

Everyone knew the set of events would happen eventually, but the pace which the writers were going ahead with Finn was unnerving. She couldn't imagine how awful Seth had felt about the exchange. Plus, he had pulled a fast one on his former teammates. They hadn't known he had taken the opportunity with the Authority, and they'd been surprised when he'd crossed them.

You just don't do something like that to so-called "brothers."

"So the rumors that you and Finn hooked up in NXT are true, then?" Dolph asked, not bothering to lower his voice. "I mean, why else would you four be shot into a storyline so quickly?"

AJ rolled her eyes. "Finn and I are friends. And that's it. It's too bad he's being brought in this way, really. I don't really understand the creative plan behind all this, but I can assure you, it's not because Finn and 'I hooked up'." She even used finger quotations , hoping that Dolph would shut it.

Dolph laughed, clearly not buying the story. AJ had a real issue with Dolph. Although they'd been considerably professional towards one another, they couldn't stand each other much, either. The only reason? Nikki Bella.

When AJ Lee came into the company, Dolph was a smooth talker and extremely kind. She'd ended up falling for him, interested in him, and hoping to eventually date him. The only problem there was that she didn't know he was secretly dating Nikki, which she found out later on. It was fine, but Nikki Bella would understandably loathe her for the rest of her career. Paired with AJ's awful storyline with Cena back in the day that Paige had mentioned, and the two would certainly never see eye to eye.

She'd go on to work with Dolph easily, but kept her heart guarded ever since then. Until she began getting romantically involved with Punk, but the ending to that story wasn't really a happy one for her. Seth seemed to be everything she never knew she needed, yet the way they were heading, doubt began to sink in. The infiltration from outsiders made her wonder if they could ever be happy.

"AJ? Do you have a second?" one of the producers interrupted, and although he apologized for doing though, AJ replied that she was grateful he had. She really didn't want to be around Dolph any more than she had to.

The producer pulled his headphones down around his neck, giving her a small smile. "Kevin Dunn sent me to speak with you before your match tonight. Obviously, you and Finn are slated to win this one. But, how do you feel about laying one on Seth before Finn beats him for the roll-up?"

Actually, she didn't hate the idea. It would strengthen Seth's storyline with Finn, anyways. Now that it was public knowledge that AJ was seeing the former Shield member, kissing him wasn't a big deal. Kissing him so that Finn could blast him to win the match looked like a cheap win, but maybe that wasn't a bad thing. But with Seth being a heel, and Balor being a heel, that didn't really make much sense...

"The plan, for the pay-per-view, is a double turn," the producer stated, almost like he could read AJ's mind. It'll be revealed that Finn is the chosen one of Triple H, replacing Seth Rollins. He'll join the Authority, and we'll use the sympathy card for Rollins."

"Where do I fit into this?" AJ wondered out loud.

"Well, that remains to be seen. Let's just get through tonight, and we can check out what the writers have in store for you later on."

AJ agreed, albeit her reply dragged out. What was with the lazy writing nowadays? It was almost like the writing team was flying by the seat of their pants, only doing simple stories that didn't really make any sense.

"How do you feel about giving Finn a kiss after he wins the match?" the producer asked awkwardly, knowing that the idea sucked. "It'd be like reviving the 'crazy chick' thing. Maybe we can get AJ Lee to stick with the authority as Finn's valet for awhile or-"

"Absolutely not," AJ replied. "Things are already weird with the world knowing Seth and I are together. I'd rather keep Finn out of my relationship. I don't want the rumors...so thank you, but no thanks."

The producer nodded, and his eyes grew wide as Seth Rollins joined the pair, snaking his arm around AJ's waist. Her heart picked up speed immediately, the cool touch a gentle reminder of what it felt like to be near him. She hoped that they would be able to spend the night together. After all, it had been far too long since they were able to spend time together. Just that simple touch made her feel like everything was going to be okay between them.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is there a problem?" Seth asked coolly, watchful of the producer. "Don't you think there's been enough bullshit flung our way?" he asked, keeping his face straight. The producer muttered a short reply.

"I know that you're just the messenger, so I won't shoot you. But I think it's about time people leave our business to us, and that includes this company. Remind your boss that we only agreed to this storyline for a short period of time. If I have to ask for my release from this company because my wishes aren't being respected, that's really unfortunate." Seth turned away from the guy, keeping his hands on AJ. Neither man spoke again, but AJ mouthed a quick apology to the young producer.

"You were kind of rude back there," she said quietly. "I mean, it's not his fault that they wanted to pull a fast one on us."

Seth snorted with a laugh. "You know, this whole thing is to pull a fast one on us. I thought we were very clear about keeping our relationship off-screen."

"We were," AJ agreed. "But, I agreed to kiss you for Finn to get the win tonight as a distraction. It looks like a cheap win for him, you know? Plus, the producer said that there would be a double-turn in the future."

"Yeah, I heard that part. Funny, they haven't yet revealed to me what the whole plan was."

"Probably because they don't even know what the whole plan consists of," AJ shrugged. "Things sure have changed a lot. I don't remember the writing being this sloppy a few years back."

"You're telling me," Seth replied. "I'm really glad you turned down the opportunity to kiss Balor, though," he turned towards her, his eyes shining with contentment.

"You heard that bit?" she asked. He nodded, and she simply replied, "I'd never do that to you."

Seth pulled her close, his hand on the small of her back. Brushing her cheek with a calloused thumb, he tucked her long dark hair behind her ear before giving her a long, gentle kiss.

"I love you so much," AJ said quietly after they broke off for a breath of air. "I'm sorry that this is happening to you. But I will do everything I can to ease the pain."

Seth laughed once. "You know, if I had to choose between my relationship with you and my title, I'd choose you every time. You've changed my outlook on pretty much everything. So, as much as it sucks...and mostly because I had to use my former friends as stepping stones to be where I am...I'm willing to bet it's just bad karma coming to bite me. So, more power to Finn Balor being the new face of the Authority."

"You don't need the Authority anyways," AJ partially whispered. You never knew whose ears were around backstage. "You're talented, whether or not you're with those asshats."

"I guess. I just think I'm gonna be embarrassed once everyone else finds out the Authority is going to replace me. I can just see the excitement on Dean's face. I can just hear Roman's laugh. Fuck," Seth ran his hands through his hair, frustrated. "I'm gonna be a joke to them."

AJ lowered her eyes, wanting to offer her opinion but treading carefully.

"You could always make amends ahead of time," she said, bringing her eyes back up to meet his. "It might take some time, but maybe if they hear an apology, it'll be a step in the right direction." She'd tried to encourage Seth to piece back together his friendship with Dean and Roman before, but it hadn't gotten anywhere. Now that the intention of the company was quite clear, she hoped that Seth would do just that. If he didn't, it would be rough for him. The black sheep of the locker room, perhaps...

"You really want me to apologize, don't you?" Seth asked. He didn't wait for her to respond. "I want to. I do. But I burned down that bridge while I was still standing on it. It wouldn't surprise me at all if I walked up to Roman's locker room door and got socked in the jaw."

"I think that scenario would be more likely if you walked up to Dean's locker room door," AJ considered. "But even if you do, I bet it'll make things right."

Seth thought about it. "You're right. I'll reach out to them. But you need to reach out to Paige. I know how fucked up things are between you because of this stupid storyline. You know damn well there's nothing going on between us, and it's not right to lash out at her."

AJ looked at him with a wounded puppy expression. She knew he was right, and she also knew that she'd acted like a total bitch to her best friend. Very rarely did AJ allow the company to get under her skin with their stories. In fact, the only time she'd ever been upset with a storyline was when they'd wanted her to portray a mental patient. But now that they'd gotten her personal affairs mixed up in the business, she was feeling salty.

"I'll apologize to her," AJ confirmed. "But you've got to offer an olive branch to your two friends, too. And, also, no more fighting with me about Finn, please. He was kind to me when I was in Florida, but I swear on my entire action figure collection that that's where my relationship with Finn ends."

Seth laughed, his eyes crinkling with his smile. She could tell he believed her, and he visibly relaxed. "Just be careful around him, alright, AJ?" he warned. "I will trust you, but I damn sure won't be trusting him."

* * *

The burst of energy from the crowd hit AJ like a semi truck. As she skipped her way down the ring, she smiled and pointed at the crowd before wiping her feet off on the apron. Ever since she was training, she began doing that before entering. It was a sign of respect, and she always liked that thought.

Paige and Seth were already in the ring, muttering back and forth. Although they both looked pissed off at her, they were actually talking about a band that they both liked releasing an apparently awful new song. AJ forced herself not to smile and break character, but she rethought that. _Of course_ she'd smile and act like Paige had never fucked her over, that's exactly what her character would do in this situation.

So she smiled, allowing her teeth to show. She gave a small bow towards Paige, who looked confused. She looked over at Seth, who shrugged. He looked like he couldn't care less, his championship belt on his shoulder.

AJ blew him a kiss, and the crowd went nuts. She laughed when Seth turned away, as though she'd blow a disease his way. He scrunched up his nose in disgust.

AJ sat in the ropes, making herself comfortable. Stephanie McMahon's music began, and she began to march down to the ring. She had a microphone in hand, but was receiving massive heat from the crowd. She played an excellent heel character.

"Oh, quiet down," Stephanie shot back at them. "I'm sure that Seth Rollins is wondering why he's being dragged into this...catfight," she crowed once the audience mellowed out. Seth nodded, pointing to his belt and said something about how he was a champion and didn't need to be involved here.

"Well, Seth, it looks like you got involved yourself. Paige made it quite clear that you 'owed her' for buttering up AJ. This kind of works out nicely, though. See, Paige got involved in AJ's match with Eva Marie. And seeing as you and Paige are on the same page..." Stephanie realized what she'd just said, and backtracked for a second, "are in cahoots, more or less, this match just made sense. AJ's on the same page as someone, too."

Stephanie walked across the stage to allow Finn Balor's music to play. As soon as the beginning notes began to play, the crowd picked up on who the mystery partner was. Finn appeared behind some smoke. He came down in his simple black trunks, the NXT belt around his waist. The reaction from the crowd was unbelievable, and Seth's face turned red in the meantime.

"Ladies and gentleman, please welcome our NXT champion, Finnnnnn Balooooor!" Steph's voice was shrill, but even with the microphone, AJ could barely hear her over the crowd's noise. Finn gave a gorgeous smile to the fans as he sauntered down the ramp. AJ shot him Finn girlish smile before glancing at Paige, who appeared to be watching closely.

Finn posed on each of the turnbuckles in correspondence with his music, and with each pose, the crowd got rowdier. Once his music stopped and the lights came back on, AJ continued to grin as the crowd started an entire slew of pro-Finn Balor chants.

 _"Finn is gonna killll you..."_

 _"NXT! NXT! NXT!"_

 _"YES! YES! YES!"_

The two men participated in a show-off contest, each of them displaying their belts proudly in the air while yelling. Paige looked to be more interested in her black-painted fingernails than in the two men, keeping her eyes in front of her. AJ kept shooting darting glances her way, but she ignored each of them. She hoped, at least, the camera was able to capture the anger radiating between the two women in the ring.

The referee finally broke apart the two men, the crowd beginning to "Yeah!" and "Boo!". Naturally, as the current face of the authority, Seth was getting booed.

 _The fans are going to be in for a huge surprise,_ AJ thought to herself. Seth stepped out of the ring first, and Finn glared at him as he followed suit. She was set to square off against Paige. She loved her prior matches with the anti-diva, and she hoped that despite them not being on the greatest of terms, they could put on a great performance.

AJ locked up, Paige quickly getting the upper hand. Maneuvering herself to be behind AJ, Paige took her down quickly with a Russian leg sweep. AJ sat up quickly, a look of shock on her face. Paige began to fake-pout, making fun of her. AJ pushed at her, and Paige retaliated quickly with the same move. So, AJ smacked her with a quick slap, the noise loud through the arena.

Their bout continued this way for awhile, nobody ever really gaining momentum. After awhile, AJ called for them to wrap up and tag their partners in. The crowd was growing slowly disinterested. Paige agreed, whipping AJ towards her corner and setting up for a clothesline. AJ ducked from the blow, instead tagging Finn Balor.

Finn stepped into the ring, and the referee put a hand up while Paige made her way back to the apron. In the past, it made no difference if there was a man and woman against each other in the ring. But, times had changed, and now the match would be halted until both members of the same gender stood toe to toe.

And once Seth came back to face off against Balor, the crowd once again celebrated the very fact that Finn was in the WWE ring.

Their match went on for quite awhile, both of the men able to work well with each other. Each one was able to pull off one giant, stunning move; Finn Balor suplexed Seth from the top turnbuckle with ease, and Seth Rollins set up a curb stomp whilst on the top rope. Though his finished missed wildly, he was able to tuck and roll so he didn't put all the force down on his already weak knee.

 _"Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!"_

The crowd was going crazy for the two performers. AJ leaned in, clapping like a crazy person while she stood on the bottom rope. Seth yelled at her to get down, and she blatantly ignored him. Instead, when the camera passed, she made sure to cheer her partner on.

The referee came over to her. To anyone else, it would have just looked like a warning to get off the ropes. But he told her to "finish up," which meant to go down to the timekeeper's area and snatch Rollins' championship belt. She did just that, and when she came back to the ropes, she caught Seth's eye as she held it in the air as though she'd won the thing herself.

That belt was much, much heavier than the butterfly belt had been, and she was surprised she could balance on the apron while holding it up for him to see. Seth came over to snatch it back, and as a way to play keep-away, she let him grab one of the straps.

Just like she was fishing, she pulled him in, kissing him. It was just enough to get the crowd going once more, and when she broke away, Seth feigned being startled. She wiped her mouth with an evil grin before dropping the belt on the floor, the cameraman nearest getting her whole expression up close. The fans booed the move, as she figured they would.

Then, when Seth began to turn around, a sickened expression written on his face, AJ laughed crazily. He'd walked straight into Finn, who'd hooked up Seth into his finishing move, 1916.

When the referee counted to three, the crowd roared, despite the wimpy match finish. They didn't mind so long as Balor was victorious.

Finn's music began to play once more, and AJ Lee held up his hand in victory. He wrapped her up in a hug, and she made certain to avoid his face. The last thing she wanted was for him to go ahead and kiss her. Sure, she told the producers she wouldn't do it, but that didn't mean he wouldn't.

And while her back was turned, Paige attacked her from behind, yelling "This is MY HOUSE, AJ!" Fans booed, and she began assaulting AJ with punches. Each punch was a near hit, but she protected her face anyways just in case one of her fist accidentally connected. "PTO," she heard Paige whisper, quickly putting AJ into a submission move.

AJ tapped weakly, eventually just allowing herself to relax as Paige kept it locked in. She could hear the referee telling her to get off, but Paige kept applying pressure. Eventually, she could see Finn's muscled legs drag the black-haired diva off from AJ, who let her body crumble to the mat completely. Although normally Paige's submission felt just like a decent stretch, AJ had a feeling she was gonna be sore tomorrow.

Finn slung AJ's limp body over his shoulders and carried her to the back, the decimation that Paige had put on her allowing the fans to actually believe she may have seriously been injured. Some of the medical personnel followed Finn to the back, the medics holding their bags as they kept up with Finn's strides all the way up the ramp.

And with that, the show closed out.


End file.
